Ethics in Editing Commented [ERS1]: As Dr.

Baker says, "drafts are

When most people think of ethics, they usually think of the moral codes that guide
individuals. But in the professional world, ethics is so much more than that. Ethics arecan be the
professional guidelines you have set for yourself, including things as simple as treating others
drafty." This is a good draft. Some tips to help keep out the
"drafts:" you talk about a lot of different possible ethical
situations, but you don't really tell us what you would do if
you encountered that situation; you could also develop
some of the paragraphs more to explain a possible example
or something; some of the paragraphs could have smoother
transitions between them. I like the variety of situations you
address, some of which I probably never would have
thought of. Good job!

with respect or following the law. With so much riding on an editor’s shoulders, ethics in the

publishing world are evencan be much trickier than that. There are obvious editing ethics like

legality issues, conflict of interest, and unethical requests from authority figures;, as well as the

not so obvious editing ethics like favoritism, objectivity, and passing blame.

Obvious Editing Ethics

Like many other professionals, editors have their own legal issues to watch out for.

Manuscripts can be rife with copyright issues, and it is the editor’s ethical obligation point them

out. Besides watching out for plagiarism, an editor must help the author figure out if his or her

writing “can be interpreted as defamatory (or libelous)” (Van de Poel 178). Not only can law

suits destroy both the author’s and editor’s careers, but it is unethical to commit “libel, invasion

of privacy, or obscenity” (Einsohn 10).

Another obvious as well as common ethical problem is conflict of interest, which “arises Commented [ERS2]: Looks like when you put this quote
in it changed the font and font size. Not a huge deal for a
draft, but I changed it to Times New Roman :)
when someone’s personal interests influence—or may appear to influence—his or her official

duties” (Rogers 1). Although at first glance it may not seem as common in the editing world, it

actually comes up quite often. An authors whose manuscripts isare under review sometimes

triesy to take the acquisition editor (or someone else in a position to ensure the manuscript’s’

acceptance) out to lunch. Although this is acceptable in the business world, it can be Commented [ERS3]: This was a little long and confusing.
If you keep it in, I would put it aside in parentheses or
something to make the sentence a little clearer.
questionable in the editing world. If the manuscript is accepted, there is no way to prove that it
was accepted by its own merit and not through some sort of bribery. The bottom line is to make

sure “your behavior [is] above potential reproach” (Rogers 2).

Although unethical requests from authority figures is an obvious editing ethic, it is not as
cut and dry as the others. Your boss may ask you to do something against the house rules or even
Commented [ERS4]: I started this reading this thinking it
was still talking about conflicts of interest. It would be good
to introduce your topic more directly first before presenting
the problem.

against the law, but the hardest unethical request could very well be a situation completely

outside your control. The publisher may ask you to accept a manuscript just because he or she

knows the author. You could try and dissuade the publisher, but in the end, the decision still lies Commented [ERS5]: I don't really see how this is any
more outside your control than the examples in the
previous sentence.
with the publisher. Because of this, it is important to pick your battles carefully and decide when

a situation is no longer your responsibility.

Not So Obvious Editing Ethics

While the obvious editing eEthics may seem like the most important ethics to follow, the

not so obvious ethics are just as important, if not more so, because they are so seldom considered

in the context of being an editorediting. Favoritism is seldom rarely thought of when it comes to Commented [ERS6]: You just used "seldom" in the
previous sentence.
the editing world, but it can be just as problematic as it is in other professions, especially since

editors can’t avoid doing what they don’t know they are doing. Favoritism occurs when you let

your opinion of another person influence whether you accept or reject a manuscript. “When you

are habitually turning down colleagues’ and authors’ plans, ideas and requests, it is worth

considering whether your personal dislike is coloring your judgement” (Davies 150).

Another less obvious editing ethic is the ability to maintain objectivity. Although many

editors consider the conflict between their own values and those in a manuscript to be an ethical

issue, few consider the fact that their moral conflict may impair their objectivity. If you know

you can’t comfortably edit a manuscript and you feel the urge to change the writing thate
conflicts with your values, consider not taking the manuscript because your objectivity may be in

question.

Passing the blame around is almost never thought of when it comes to ethics, but it is a

really important part of being an editor. Nobody wants to work with someone who always

blames other people for what goes wrong. It is important to ask yourself “if you have contributed

to it in some way” (Davies 150).
Conclusion
Ethics is the guidelines that should be decided before the issue comes up. I have
established guidelines for myself for potential ethical situations. decided that I will help my
Commented [ERS7]: You could develop this idea more.
Explain a little more what it means to pass the blame in the
editing world.
Commented [ERS8]: If you lable the other sections you
should label the conclusion as well. It helps the reader know
what's going on :)
Commented [ERS9]: I think I could see a justification for
using "is," but do you want "is" or "are?"

future authors avoid committing plagiarism or other legal violations. I will, avoid situations

where my conduct can be called into question. I will, refuse to break the law for a superior. I

will, keep an objective view of manuscripts and refuse manuscripts that I might be biased

against., I willand avoid blaming other people for editing problems. Commented [ERS10]: This sentence was a little too long.
Each clause could be made its own sentence; or you could
divide it up differently as well. Try to come up with a nice,
wrap-up sentence for the very end.
Commented [ERS11]: Don't forget to include a
references page at the end :)