This is a project that will put approximately eight hundred and fifty codes of ethics held in paper form by the library of the Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions on the World-Wide Web (WWW), along with keyword searchable indexes and guidelines for use. The codes will be indexed by subject and by issuing agency, and will include a keyword search engine which will allow users to retrieve the documents by entering any keyword they wish. Hypertext links will be provided to issuing agencies, to other on-line ethics resources, and to an instructional overview introducing the codes and providing guidance about how best to use them. The codes are useful in themselves and are valuable documents for teaching, research, and professional development. Researchers can study the history of a profession by studying different versions of codes; students can often find a good toehold for research into professional ethics by analyzing a code of ethics; and professional engineers, scientists, and others who are trying to create or improve a code of ethics for their own field often need examples of other codes to learn from and build on. The project leader will write an introductory essay and a User Guide explaining how codes can be used for teaching, research, and professional development. If the originating agency of a code of ethics has a WWW page, or a gopher, hypertext links will be created which connect the code to its originating agency. This will allow professionals and students alike to learn more about the professional association and its membership. Such web pages and gophers usually have e-mail addresses and phone numbers for significant committee members. Thus communication among students, researchers and members of the profession will be facilitated, and opportunities for professional development will be created.
