• Understand the importance of professional integrity in business writing
• Learn how to properly document and cite sources

Professional Integrity

Consider the earlier discussion on the CRAAP Test for evaluating sources. The test and its authors argue that for a source to be useful, it must meet the criteria laid out in the test’s categories. The same concept applies to the material that you author and the materials you submit to others in your organization.

For decision-makers and colleagues to trust the reports you write, you have to maintain your professional integrity. You have to approach your work with care and honesty.

Consider the following ethical violations, all of which highlight the role of the individual’s behavior:

• Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, was convicted of a variety of fraud which led to the collapse of FTX, resulting in significant losses for investors and shaking confidence in the cryptocurrency market.^[1]
• Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of Theranos, claimed her company had developed revolutionary blood-testing technology, which turned out to be false. Her actions led to her eventual conviction for fraud and an 11-year prison sentence.^[2]
• Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas accepted luxurious gifts of travel for decades and allowed billionaire Harlan Crow to pay for his great-nephew’s tuition and buy his mother a house. This called into question whether the lavish gifts had any effect on the justice’s decisions.^[3]

In each of the above cases, individuals, or groups of individuals, knowingly violated reasonable ethical standards and norms. These standards are either codified in law or what we could consider a common-sense standard.

A common sense standard is one about which we could quickly ask ourselves: “Would anyone question the way I’m doing this work or activity?” If the answer is yes, your behavior needs to adjust.

The University of St. Andrews describes Professional Integrity and details the following concepts as central to the idea of professional integrity.^[4]

• The researcher (or business report writer), operates at the highest levels of ethical responsibility. We should take this to mean that you will do everything you can to build reports and use information in ways that no one would ever question your conduct. Proper citation and use of others’ work, care to anonymize sources of sensitive information, especially anyone vulnerable, and safeguarding of data to ensure it is not tampered with, are all relevant.
• Operate and conduct yourself within your skillset. If someone asks you to do something for which you are not qualified, consider ways to turn down the project, rescope the project, or get help with the areas or pieces that are outside your skillset.

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