Academic Integrity
For a survey project, you conduct 15 interviews. 4 of those interviews do not align with your hypothesis. Would discarding them breach your integrity?
Yes. Discarding valid data that does not support your hypothesis is a breach of your integrity, since accurate surveying requires including and analyzing all relevant data objectively.
Should you report a coworker who’s being rude to others, even if not you?
Yes, as a fellow employee at a job, you have the responsibility to report any behavior that is inappropriate in the workplace.
An engineer is tasked with designing a product. To minimize production costs, the engineer is told to do so even if it may make the product more wasteful.
The engineer should not prioritize cost at the expense of environmental impact. They should aim to balance cost with sustainability and advocate for design choices that reduce waste.
An engineer notices a small problem that could arise in a design that has a low probability of actually failing, but extreme consequences if it does. Should it be addressed?
Yes. Even if failure is unlikely, engineers must address hazards with severe possible consequences because public safety comes first.
Two students work through homework problems, discussing ideas and concepts, but independently attempting the problems. They arrived at the same answer after discussing. Would this be acceptable and ethical?
Yes, understanding concepts together is acceptable, but for most classes, unless otherwise specified, the final work must be individual.
Is it all right to cover for a friend at work a couple of times if they show up late?
Yes, it is all right if it is not a daily occurrence and if it is not affecting the workplace or your work. However, you should encourage them to speak with management to identify better alternatives if this is a recurring issue.
A company can use a cheaper material that slightly increases pollution but stays within legal limits. Should they use it?
Not necessarily. Even if it is legal, engineers have an ethical responsibility to minimize harm. They should consider long-term environmental impact and seek more sustainable alternatives if possible.
An engineer is asked to approve a system outside their area of expertise because “it is probably fine.” What is the ethical response?
The engineer should not approve it and should defer to or consult someone with the proper expertise.
If you find a strong source of inspiration from an article, such that it becomes the thesis of your paper, would paraphrasing it be a breach of integrity?
Yes, if it is not properly cited. Paraphrasing without giving credit is still plagiarism since it is still someone else's work.
If a coworker breaks the rules but means well, should it be reported? Explain. (Judged)
Yes, because workplace rules exist to maintain fairness, safety, and accountability. Even if the intent is good, ignoring violations can set a precedent that undermines trust and accountability. (Judged)
An engineer is designing a system that improves efficiency but will lead to job losses for a group of workers. What should they consider? (Judged)
The engineer should consider the broader human impact, including economic and social consequences. (Judged)
Before releasing a product, engineers discover that its safety tests were incomplete, but management wants to launch anyway to stay on schedule. What should the engineers do? (Judged)
The product’s release date should be delayed until proper testing is completed and the product is shown to be safe for use. (Judged)
You are working on a group project for an engineering design class and are approaching a deadline. You notice your teammate copy and pasted code from an external source. What is the most ethical thing to do in this situation? (Judged)
The most ethical action is to speak with your teammate and work together to make sure that you are properly citing or not copying to violate any academic integrity rules. (Judged)
As lunch starts, you go to the company break room and see one of your coworkers taking someone else's food. What is the best response to this situation? (Judged)
The best response is to address it directly but respectfully by pointing out that the food likely belongs to someone else. This gives them a chance to correct their behavior without escalation. (Judged)
A company discovers that a widely used product contributes to long-term environmental damage, but redesigning it would be costly and delay production. What is the most ethical course of action? (Judged)
The most ethical course is to prioritize reducing harm by redesigning the product, even if it increases costs or delays production. (Judged)
An engineer at a company learns that one of its products may pose a danger to users already using it in the field. What is the engineer’s strongest ethical responsibility? (Judged)
To act quickly to protect the public by reporting the risk to the company and taking further actions with the public if his warnings fall upon deaf ears. (Judged)