chapter 6

Legal and Ethical Issues Related to

Information

Chapter 6

6 | 2Copyright 2012 Wadsworth © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Chapter Topics

• Communicating Information Legally and Ethically

• Citing Information Sources• Information and Privacy Issues• Information and Security Issues• Communicating Information


The Big Picture

• In addition to effectively selecting, retrieving, organizing, and evaluating information, standards have been set forth for the manner in which information is used. Chapter 6 addresses the legal, ethical, and communication issues that affect the proper and improper use of information.


Learning Objectives

• Explain how privacy and security can be breached and protected in both print and electronic environments.

• Define and describe intellectual property, copyright, and fair use of copyrighted material and how they relate to using information legally and ethically.

• Explain ways to participate appropriately in electronic discussions and live presentations.


Case In Point Questions

• How well will you be able to document that you have provided credible and current resources?

• How will you know if you need to obtain permission to use certain information? How will you give appropriate credit to your information sources?



• How well do you think you will perform in a small group meeting of managers when asked to present your information? How will you come across? What are your speaking and presentation strengths and weaknesses in this environment?

• How well do you think you will do in a large conference presentation? What are your strengths and weaknesses in this environment?



• How do you come across to other professionals?

• How well do you think you can present your presentation in a written format so that the managers have something to take from the meeting to study?


Information Organization: An Overview

• Introduction– Legal and ethical use of information– Components of use

• Intellectual property• Copyright• Fair use• Plagiarism• Privacy considerations• Security issues

– Using appropriate communication channels


Legal and Ethical Issues Related to Information

• Importance of legal and ethical issues• This course not legal advice


Intellectual Property

• Industrial Property– Invention– Patent– Trademark– Industrial design

• Copyright– Protects works of art, writing, music and others

• Purpose of intellectual property laws


Copyright

• Protects rights of creators of certain materials• Copyright Act of 1976

– Provisions of the law

• Public Domain• Fair Use


Plagiarism

• Definition

• Examples

• Ways to Avoid Plagiarizing


Citing Information Sources

• Purposes– Ethics - gives appropriate credit to author– Provides additional resources to reader– Contributes to avoiding plagiarism

• Methods– Follow examples in writing style guides

– Follow professional guidelines


Information and Privacy Issues

• Privacy Rights– Private citizens versus celebrities– Means keeping others’ personal information out of

public view

• Privacy Legislation– Privacy Act of 1974– The HIPAA Laws (Health Insurance Portability and

Accountability Act of 1996)


Information and Security Issues

• General Considerations– Important aspect of information literacy– Legal and ethical elements– Awareness of security issues

• Computer Security


Communicating Information

• General Considerations– Goals of communicating– Writing formats– Presentation formats– Communication technologies– Logic and professionalism


The Communication Process


Channels of Communication

• Memos • Letters• Reports, Proposals, and Papers • Logs and Journals • Instructions


Communicating Visually

• Poster presentations

• Drawings and diagrams

• Images


Communicating Verbally

• Face-to-face communication

• Small group meetings

• Large group presentations


Teaching and Training Strategies

• Learning styles• Knowledge, skills, and

experience ofthe learner

• Need to beself-directed

• Memory issues • Schedules

• Problem-solving orientation

• Skepticism regarding the trainer’s credibility

• Verification of understanding

• Time for questions


Communicating Electronically

• E-mail – Purposes– Etiquette

• Online chat, discussion, and listservs – Purposes– Etiquette


Chapter Summary

• Communicating Information Legally and Ethically

• Citing Information Sources• Information and Privacy Issues• Information and Security Issues• Communicating Information

chapter 6

Education

wadsworth cengage learning

privacy issues information

learning objectives

rights of creators

certain information

personal information

information organization

information legallyand