Title:	TOWARDS ACTIONABLE INFORMATION SYSTEM ETHICS: REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS AND NON-MALEFICENCE
Author(s):	Dimitrius Keykaan
ISBN:	978-989-8704-48-1
Editors:	Miguel Baptista Nunes, Pedro Isaías and Philip Powell
Year:	2023
Edition:	Single
Keywords:	Ethics, Information Systems, Non-Maleficence, Harm, Requirements Analysis
Type:	Full Paper
First Page:	205
Last Page:	211
Language:	English
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Full Contents:	click to dowload
Paper Abstract:	Unethical Software development is the cause of many harms that emanate from information systems. This paper proposes the explicit use of the non-maleficence bioethical principle, to assess whether system requirements may have ethical implications. The assessment takes place before the requirement advances to a following phase in the software development life cycle. Some harm caused by unethical Information systems will be highlighted to show the reality of the harm caused. An unethical software development scenario is then created, and a systems requirement of the system is formulated. A single bioethical principle is then used, as criteria, to determine whether a particular system requirement may be advanced to the design and implementation phases of the information systems development life cycle. The chosen approach has indicated usefulness in working towards actionable ethics that are not simply a long list of rules and principles. This research advises on the exact point in the development process, where ethical considerations can be made. It also guides the developer on how to determine whether a system could potentially cause harm or not. The actionability of the approach is also considered beneficial because takes place during the design process instead of after the design stages, where little can be done to influence ethicality.
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