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ASIS&T Professional Guidelines

ASIS&T recognizes the plurality of uses and users of information technologies, services, systems and products as well as the diversity of goals or objectives, sometimes conflicting, among producers, vendors, mediators, and users of information systems.

ASIS&T urges its members to be ever aware of the social, economic, cultural, and political impacts of their actions or inaction.

ASIS&T members have obligations to employers, clients, and system users, to the profession, and to society, to use judgment and discretion in making choices, providing equitable service, and in defending the rights of open inquiry.

Responsibilities to Employers/Clients/System Users
  • To act faithfully for their employers or clients in professional matters
  • To uphold each user’s, provider’s, or employer’s right to privacy and confidentiality and to respect whatever proprietary rights belong to them, by limiting access to, providing proper security for and ensuring proper disposal of data about clients, patrons or users.
  • To treat all persons fairly.
Responsibility to the Profession

To truthfully represent themselves and the information systems which they utilize or which they represent, by:

  • not knowingly making false statements or providing erroneous or misleading information
  • informing their employers, clients or sponsors of any circumstances that create a conflict of interest
  • not using their position beyond their authorized limits or by not using their credentials to misrepresent themselves
  • following and promoting standards of conduct in accord with the best current practices
  • undertaking their research conscientiously, in gathering, tabulating or interpreting data; in following proper approval procedures for subjects; and in producing or disseminating their research results
  • pursuing ongoing professional development and encouraging and assisting colleagues and others to do the same
  • adhering to principles of due process and equality of opportunity.
Responsibility to Association
  • To improve the information systems with which they work or which they represent, to the best of their means and abilities by providing the most reliable and accurate information and acknowledging the credibility of the sources as known or unknown
  • To resist all forms of censorship, inappropriate selection and acquisitions policies, and biases in information selection, provision and dissemination
  • To make known any biases, errors and inaccuracies found to exist and striving to correct those which can be remedied
  • To promote open and equal access to information, within the scope permitted by their organizations or work, and to resist procedures that promote unlawful discriminatory practices in access to and provision of information, by seeking to extend public awareness and appreciation of information availability and provision as well as the role of information professionals in providing such information
  • To [promote] freely reporting, publishing or disseminating information subject to legal and proprietary restraints of producers, vendors and employers, and the best interests of their employers or clients.

Information professionals shall engage in principled conduct whether on their own behalf or at the request of employers, colleagues, clients, agencies or the profession.

Adopted May 30, 1992