A Question of Ethics

    This week in class we discussed advocacy and how it relates to argument.  Advocacy is allows us to decide what is worth caring about and how we can find a means by which to alter our future to one we desire. Many topics were discussed such as styles of advocacy, how to become an advocate, the true meaning of advocacy in general. However, what really caught my attention the most was a topic that fell under research for advocacy and argument. This particular issue that caught my attention was the ethics of being a researcher. With so many new technological advancements there are increasingly more and more questions about what is acceptable and what is not when it comes to the way we obtain more knowledge. An important aspect of ethical research has to do with being open to new interpretations and changing your current beliefs based on the new information you receive.
     When researching or writing about another work, it is important to give credit where credit is due. By doing this it can be ensured that the work is not misrepresented, falsified, or fabricated. This is becoming increasingly more of an issue as we develop new, easy ways to share information. This has lead to the development of new guidelines and caused people to question what information can be exchanged without violating the rights of the original author. Ethics also calls into question how far is too far? In some cases people feel their personal rights are violated for the sake of scientific advancement. This is an argument that has been going on for decades, yet it is still a hot topic today. This is mainly due to the fact that all kinds of research is readily accessible and that many are not sure where to draw the line. But where should we draw the line? How far really is too far?