Information systems ethics – challenges and opportunities

Date11 March 2019
Published date11 March 2019
Pages87-97
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/JICES-07-2017-0041
AuthorSimon Rogerson,Keith W. Miller,Jenifer Sunrise Winter,David Larson
Subject MatterInformation & knowledge management,Information management & governance,Information & communications technology
Information systems ethics
challenges and opportunities
Simon Rogerson
Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility, De Montfort University,
Leicester, UK
Keith W. Miller
College of Education, University of Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Jenifer Sunrise Winter
School of Communications, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu,
Hawaii, USA, and
David Larson
Department of MIS, University of Illinois at Springeld, Illinois, USA
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the ethicalissues surrounding information systems (IS)
practice with a view to encouraging greaterinvolvement in this aspect of IS research. Information integrity
relies upon thedevelopment and operation of computer-basedinformation systems. Those who undertake the
planning, development and operation of these information systems have obligations to assure information
integrity and overall to contribute to the public good. This ethical dimension of information systems has
attractedmixed attention in the IS academic discipline.
Design/methodology/approach The authors are a multidisciplinary team providing a rich, diverse
experience which includes professional and information ethics, managementinformation systems, software
engineering,data repositories and information systems development.Each author has used this experience to
review the IS ethics landscape, which provides four complimentaryperspectives. These are synthesised to
tease out trendsand future pointers.
Findings It is conrmed that there is a serious lackof research being undertaken relatingto the ethical
dimension of the Information Systems eld. There is limited crossover between the well-established
multidisciplinary communityof Computer Ethics research and the traditional Information Systems research
community.
Originality/value An outline framework is offered which could provide an opportunity for rich and
valuable dialogueacross the two communities. This is proposed as the starting pointfor a proactive research
and practiceaction plan for information systems ethics.
Keywords Information systems, Ethics, Professional practice, Body of knowledge, System failure
Paper type Viewpoint
1. Introduction
Each day society becomes more and more reliant upon information created and
communicated using technology.Everybody expects such information to be correct. Central
This paper has been developed from a panel session The ethics of Information Systems challenges
and opportunities: A panel discussionby the authors at the Midwest Association for Information
Systems conference MWAIS 2017 in May 2017.
Information
systems ethics
87
Received2 July 2017
Revised2 July 2017
Accepted12 July 2017
Journalof Information,
Communicationand Ethics in
Society
Vol.17 No. 1, 2019
pp. 87-97
© Emerald Publishing Limited
1477-996X
DOI 10.1108/JICES-07-2017-0041
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/1477-996X.htm

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