“Is This Ethical?” New Data on the Ethical Principles and Practices of Document Design
Abstract
This study revisits Sam Dragga’s research on ethical decision-making in document design, updating it to reflect contemporary concerns. Our findings indicate that participants today perceive the document design scenarios as significantly more unethical than those in Dragga's original study, with heightened attention to accessibility, cultural sensitivity, and social justice. While Dragga's study emphasized concerns over the consequences of document design choices, our results suggest a shift in focus toward the writer's intent. Participants frequently judged deliberate manipulation as unethical, even in cases where no direct harm was evident. These findings highlight the evolving ethical priorities in technical communication and underscore the need for practitioners and educators to reassess and revise the field's guiding principles to align with contemporary values of inclusivity and social responsibility.
Department(s)
English
Document Type
Article
DOI
10.1177/00472816251342582
Keywords
accessibility, cultural concerns, document design, social justice
Publication Date
4-1-2026
Recommended Citation
Seawright, Leslie E.; Hodges, Amy; and Ponce, Timothy, "“Is This Ethical?” New Data on the Ethical Principles and Practices of Document Design" (2026). Faculty Scholarship. 17.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/articles00/17
Journal Title
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
