Every professional has, or should have, a code of ethics which the members follow as a normal habit and especially use to guide them whenever difficult moral decisions arise. At their meeting in Lisbon in November 1998, the member Associations of ECIA agreed that a code should be adopted which would be appropriate for members of the profession in each country of the European Union.
In the countries of the EU, members of the information and documentation (I&D) professional operate in several different circumstances and within the context of local mores, some members will, from time to time, work outside the EU. Any code of ethics for members of EU organisations has to take account of all these factors. It can, therefore, only be a framework or principles which it will be open to each Association to amplify or supplement if necessary for its special or national needs.
The principles which follow recognise that the working environment of I&D professionals are not all the same. Some are freelance (ie self employed); some are the heads of I&D firms. Others are employees of I&D organisations. Yet others, perhaps the majority, are employees in organisations not primarily concerned with I&D but whose duties are to provide I&D services to their employer and the other employees. Thus some have contracts with their clients; others have contracts with their employer. There are also occasions when work is undertaken without any formal contract, occasions when mutual trust must prevail.
ADOPTED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL OF INFORMATION ASSOCIATIONS
ETHICAL PRINCIPLES FOR INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTATION PROFESSIONALS
| 1. |
All information and documentation professionals should: In all professional, commercial, managerial or educational dealings behave honestly, honourably and in a manner which brings credit on the Information and Documentation (I&D) profession; this includes honouring any commitment freely entered into: Take every reasonable precaution to avoid conflicts of interest; disclose any that are unavoidable even if they are likely to be uncontentious; Not misrepresent their abilities nor undertake any task which is beyond their professional competence (though they may belong to a team which as a whole is able to provide a service they could not personally manage); Not denigrate other professionals (though, of course, in professional circles they may criticise the theories and views of others); Ensure their professional knowledge and skills are kept up-to-date. |
| 2. |
In dealing with their employer I&D professionals should: Act in the best interests of their employer; However, if required by the employer to behave in an unethical or unprofessional manner, seriously consider their position or seek the advice of their professional association. Not accept, without the agreement of the employer, extra work or payments and never accept bribes; Co-operate with colleagues whenever necessary, especially in the interests of the client. |
| 3. |
In dealings with the client a professional service organisation or a freelance professional should: Treat all dealings with the client in complete confidence, unless the law requires disclosure; Provide the highest quality service possible within the terms of the contract; Avoid bias or censorship as a result of personal, religious, political or other beliefs and ensure, where appropriate, that all legitimate points of view and valid evidence are taken into account; Draw on all relevant sources of published information; Indicate to the client, in so far as is possible, the degree of reliability of each source including whether any data used will change with time; Admit and correct any accidental errors; Cite the sources, unless properly using unpublished information the source of which does not wish to be revealed; Not use unpublished sources except with the permission of their owner(s); Not re-use a report on a project for a second client unless the first has agreed such may be done or copyright has been retained by the I&D professional or his employer; Observe the laws of whatever country he/she is working in, especially those concerned with copyright, data protection, confidentiality and freedom of information. |
| 4. |
An I&D professional should: When teaching LIS students or instructing new staff, from time to time and as appropriate, instil into them the importance of observing professional ethical principles; If required to judge whether a breach of ethical principles has occurred take the same meticulous care to ensure that he/she has all the relevant facts and information as if he/she were undertaking a project for a client. |
It is emphasised that these are guiding principles only to be observed in a manner appropriate to the working environment of each professional. No rules are absolute and there will be times or circumstances when even sound ethical principles conflict. However, the above set should provide an adequate basis for users of I&D services to have confidence in the professional(s) involved.