In an era where technology shapes every aspect of our lives, the need for ethical guidance in IT has never been more important. Getting Started with Tech Ethics is your essential resource for understanding and applying ethics in the fast-evolving tech environment.
This book equips IT professionals, from beginners to experienced leaders, with a clear ethical framework to operate within ethical boundaries, providing practical insights and real-world examples, including high-profile cases like the Horizon software scandal. Whether you’re a student beginning your journey in computing, an early-career developer navigating real-world complexities for the first time, or a seasoned professional seeking to refresh your ethical lens, this book is written with you in mind.
This book brings together the insights of leading figures from across the technology landscape—academics, consultants, and industry veterans. Elevate your professionalism, protect your organization, and contribute to a more responsible tech future with this indispensable guide to IT ethics.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Foundations of tech ethics
Chapter 3: The professional individual's ethics
Chapter 4: Ethics and the IT organisation
Chapter 5: Societal responsibilities
Chapter 6: Sustainable and ethical practices
Chapter 7: Navigating emerging technologies
Chapter 8: Future directions in tech ethics
About the Author :
Neil Gordon is a Professor in Computer Science, a National Teaching Fellow, and a Principal Fellow of AdvanceHE. Gillian Arnold is a prominent figure in the British IT sector, known for her leadership and advocacy for women in technology. Bernd Carsten Stahl is Professor of Critical Research in Technology at the School of Computer Science of the University of Nottingham where he leads the Responsible Digital Futures group. Darren Dalcher is a Professor in Strategic Project Management at Lancaster University Management School and the Director of the National Centre for Project Management. Catherine Flick is a Professor of Ethics and Games Technology at Staffordshire University who has a background in History and Philosophy of Science and Computer Science and a PhD in Computer Ethics.
Review :
Finally, a resource on ethics tailored for IT professionals. It offers guidance on topics like establishing a code of ethics and setting up an ethics committee within your organisation. An excellent starting point for those interested in tech ethics.
Adem Certel MBCS, Head Data Curator, Knight Frank LLP
Raises important questions for us all to consider as we develop systems, considering people, business context and the environment. Recommended reading for all in the IT industry.
Neil Taylor CITP, Senior Lecturer, Aberystwyth University
Rapid changes in the tech sector means that ethical issues are complex and constantly evolving. This book does a brilliant job of setting out the big questions while giving grounded and practical advice on actions that people developing and using tech can take. It highlights how and when ethical challenges arise, from existing to emerging tech. It takes the perspectives of the individual, the company, the profession and of wider society - rightly highlighting the need for engagement with the public on the risks that new technologies can bring. Setting out the responsibility of tech professionals from day to day decisions, to shaping new technologies, and in tackling AI hype, the text is both philosophical and pragmatic. It is an excellent resource for developing and delivering tech in an ethical, sustainable and socially responsible way.
Dr Natasha McCarthy, Associate Director, Policy, Royal Academy of Engineering
Getting Started with Tech Ethics is a valuable and easily consumable guide to the sometimes murky world of ethics in organisations, with separate treatment of personal, collective and corporate ethics. Strongly recommended.
Robert Davison, PhD, Professor of Information Systems, City University of Hong Kong, Fellow of the Association for Information Systems.
A lot of people might not appreciate that the extent of ethics in tech is not just wordplay. Duty, virtue, and ethical outcomes feature in all deployments of new technology, and cannot be reduced to algorithms. This book provides a valuable, and short, survey of the field and resources available to the people making those ethical decisions.
Professor Michael Mainelli, Chairman, Z/Yen Group and Lord Mayor of London 2023-2024
