A Review of Ethical Issue Considerations in the Information Systems Research Literature: Foundations and Trends in Information Systems

A Review of Ethical Issue Considerations in the Information Systems Research Literature summarizes the treatment of ethical considerations that have been made by information systems researchers. When examined in this fashion, one finds that information systems research over the years that incorporates an ethical perspective has transitioned from a focus on codes of ethics and general notions of behavior to more sophisticated models of piracy, privacy, and security. There has been a steady focus on theory development over the last ten years, as well as constant scrutiny on the obligations of information system researchers to both the subjects of studies and the consumers of the research results. The monograph begins with a brief introduction and review of major ethical theories. This is followed by the category summaries, which are listed in alphabetical order to enable a reader to jump to a specific topic. The last sections address future research opportunities and the conclusions drawn.