Freelance writing and ethics

Redlass · #1 07-05-2001, 10:38 AM

I have a question to throw out.

Most of the writing that I do is ghostwriting. I have no problem with the ethics of that situation--indeed, I think it makes sense for people to use ghost writers. I have the technical knowledge on how to write, they have the information that they want to communicate.

However, recently I was asked to ghost write a 25 to 30 page piece on a subject within my field. Perfect contract. Except for one thing. This piece is going to be part of what the author uses for achieving tenure. Is it unethical for me to write something for someone when he will use it for tenure? I mean, his professorship is not in English, literature, or writing.

I'm just wavering over whether I should accept the job. It doesn't help that it would pay more than my standard rates and that we could really use the money. However, my need should be irrelevant when it comes to deciding whether it is right to do or not.

So, what do you think?

rich2003dm · #2 07-05-2001, 10:13 PM

I know this may sound like just a rationalization, but it seems to me that you are a professional accepting a contract to write something for someone.

That's what you do.

The use, ethical or not, the other person puts your work product to, is that person's decision. (You may also want to help me clean up this very awkward sentence.) Any breach of ethics is that individual's breach, and not yours.

Rich

#3 07-05-2001, 10:21 PM

Whoa Rich! Would you say the same thing to the maker of a computer programmer who was contracted to write a program with shady functions?

(Sorry, I just got done reading "IBM & the Holocaust", so I have to ask.)

**AuntieEmma**[$] · #4 07-05-2001, 10:57 PM

Bridgette, I agree with you, I wouldn't do it if it wasn't ethical.

It's not clear from the situation, though, if it is or not. Is the article going to be published in a journal? If so, what are the journal's standards?

Also, it might make a big difference if your role is strictly editing and organizing, or if you're writing the actual paper itself. If, for example, you were actually doing the research that the paper is based on, I don't see how that could be ethical.

But I don't know. I'm not up on academic ethics. I know there are very specific rules, but I don't know what they are.

Gee, wasn't that helpful.

rich2003dm · #5 07-05-2001, 11:21 PM

Grace,

For better or worse, I'm one of those people who see things in shades of gray, and not in pure blacks and whites. (Although there do exist some obvious and glaring blacks and whites.)

My response is not to be construed as a blanket response to any ethical question, but instead it is meant to address the situation that Redlass stated.

Would I sell a gun to someone who told me that they were going to use it to murder someone?

Of course not.

In your example, if the programmer knew that his code would facilitate the holocaust, he or she should be damned for writing it.

The issue that Redlass raised is a far cry from murder or genocide. It is less a question of an ethical breach on her part, than it is one of how comfortable she is with writing the piece knowing the use it that will be made of it.

Writing is her job. I'm assuming there is no outright illegality involved in this.

Is it dishonorable for an attorney, knowing his client is guilty of a serious crime, to use all of his legal skills to attempt to have his client acquitted?

No. By law, that is his job. To do less would be universally seen as a breach of ethics.

Whether or not he can stomach it is a personal decision, and not an ethical one.

Is it wrong to ghostwrite a political speech if it goes against your own political and social values?

Not wrong, but can you personally handle it?

Rich

(And Grace, please stop reading these things and complicating my life.)

Workingmomof2 · #6 07-06-2001, 12:23 PM

I guess my initial response was lukewarm to this. Without knowing the specifics of how the piece was going to be used, or what the "rules" are for tenure, I would not be sure how to handle this. Given that huge disclaimer:

1 - If you're being paid as a writer and you are asked to put together a DRAFT piece, that may (or may not) be used toward this person's tenure, it should be viewed simply as a draft (and written as such, with appropriate disclaimers to the professor up front)

2 - Is there a rule that says all tenure work must be original? I would think this would be rather like a professor who used the work of his grad students, and took credit for guiding their project(s) - but again I don't know the rules on this one.

That said - if it is going to really bother you (e.g., if you KNOW that all tenure work MUST be original) and the $$ isn't that great then I would say skip it. Make a polite excuse about how the timing is horrible, etc....and no, the money isn't the big issue I know... I guess I would strongly advise that you consider the ethics issue first and the $ second

JMO though --

Trebor1415 · #7 07-09-2001, 02:08 PM

Is this a case where the professor knows what he (she?) wants to say and just needs you to write it in a more polished manner then he could do himself, or is this a case where you are actually helping develop the arguments and supports that are in the paper?

If its just a matter of reshaping the material and working to turn the rough drafts and research into a polished narrative, I think it's OK. If your actually helping determine the results of the research and are developing the key arguments and supports, I think it would cross the line.

More information on specific academic tenure ethics woudl also help. Is ghostwriting a commonly accepted practice? Are there already ethical guidelines in place as to what constitutes an "original" work by the professor? I'd try to determine what the prevailing ethics of the industry are and try to follow those.

Good luck

Rob

EDIT: Of course, you aren't bound by the same ethical rules as the professor. (It isn't YOUR tenure on the line.) But, if helping someone else break rules that bind them bothers you, you should determine if this indeed breaks the rules, and if it does, pass on the job.

jenninca · #8 07-09-2001, 06:11 PM

Without knowing the entire situation, my first impression is that it doesn't sound ethical. If the person is being judged for tenure and is being evaluated partially on the basis of what's in this paper, I don't think I could write the paper. It sounds too much like cheating for this teacher's mind.

Cindy

Redlass · #9 07-09-2001, 08:24 PM

Unfortunately, I know next to nothing about the rules of tenure and publication. I wouldn't have even known that this assignment would be used for tenure if he hadn't said, "Oh, and could you have it done by X date, so I can add it to my list of publications for my quarterly report."

There isn't anything in what I'm writing that is original research (I'm not doing surveys or anything of the sort). He's provided me with an outline and the competencies that the piece needs to cover and I'm looking up articles and previous publications. Then I'll write to the outline and submit it to him for approval.

I don't know enough to know whether his tenure committee (or whatever it is that they have) would consider it unethical. Nor could I ask directly without violating the proposed contract terms (which I haven't signed yet and as I'm out of town on business until next week, I've been able to buy a little time).

sibhreach · #10 07-10-2001, 10:44 AM

From what this sounds like, I couldn't do this project because it feels unethical to me. IMHO - it would be another case if this client needed some polish to an already written piece or he needed someone to "start him off" and get him a little more organised than he is.

Seems that you are doing the entire job with him supervising - i.e., like one of his students or, more like a secretary doing a job for a boss that could do it, himself, but he doesn't want to be bothered with it.

If you can settle it within your own mind - because, strictly speaking, this is a job and that is the extent of your guilt. Had he not spoken up as to the reason he needed it on X date, you would not have known.

Now that you do know, however - well I do feel it's unethical because if someone is trying to gain tenure, worthiness of something - may it be a position, a funny hat, whatever - it should rest on the merits of the person, right?

You should get tenure if they like "his" piece so much.

However, if the money is a pressing issue, well...then you will just have to settle it within your own mind how far you're willing to go.

IMHO, I couldn't take the job.

Cairlí
No high morals, but she does have to live with herself

**AuntieEmma**[$] · #11 07-10-2001, 05:31 PM

I got curious about this and starting looking at stuff on the web -- and it's not as clear as I had thought it would be. What it looks like is that if students get help with their papers, that's considered cheating, but the situation is different for professors. I did find a lot of stuff about who should get author credit and what the order of listed authors should be (try looking at "academic authorship ethics" on google), but that's not the same thing as your situation. It sounds like what you're doing might fall into what's considered technical help -- that is, people whose contributions should be mentioned in the article's acknowledgments but who shouldn't be on the author list, perhaps similar to the situation where a student is working as a professor's research assistant without giving original input of the kind that would make them a co-author.

Maybe what you can do is look at the "author's instruction" page for a journal that's in the professor's field -- there should be some of those online. If they seem to be making some sort of provision for the kind of work you're doing -- that is, if they say something like editing help should be acknowledged in such-and-such a way -- then you would know it's an accepted practice.