Taking an Ethical Approach

The American College Dictionary defines ethics as the principles of morality, including both the science of the good and the nature of the right. Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, states, "Principles are guidelines for human conduct that are proven to have enduring, permanent value. They're fundamental. They're essentially unarguable because they are self-evident."

An ethics statement reminds us to be conscious of how we conduct ourselves with the people we are interviewing. It focuses on what we want to be (character), and to do (contributions and achievements) and on the values or principles upon which being and doing are based. By agreeing to abide by the principles in the ethics statement, we commit to act with integrity, to relate to the people we are interviewing with care and compassion. As Stephen Covey notes, "The more we know of correct principles, the greater is our personal freedom to act wisely."

"An ethics statement denotes the seriousness with which an organization takes its ethical commitments. Words are empty without some documentation. The written statement then serves as a foundation from which ethical behavior can be built," says Patrick Murphy, author of Eighty Exemplary Ethics Statements.

Although every oral history project is unique, we encourage every group that conducts a Q.S.O.S. project or any oral history project of their own to adopt an ethics statement. While writing and publicizing an ethics statement is admirable, it is certain not enough. A strong commitment to these principles at all levels of your organization is necessary to make the statement come "alive." Use the Q.S.O.S. ethics statement (Appendix D) or for a more extensive ethics statement, examine the American Folklore Society's statement. While Patrick Murphy's book covers corporations, it is full of useful information.

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