🌐 Social and Ethical Issues in Information Systems

🔒 Privacy & Security

  • Privacy of the individual – security of data and information

  • Accuracy of data and information

  • Changing nature of work

  • Appropriate information use

  • Health and safety

  • Copyright laws

📊 Collecting Data

  • ⚖️ Bias in the choice of what and where to collect data

  • ✅ Accuracy of the collected data

  • 📝 Copyright and acknowledgment of source data when collecting

  • 🔒 Rights to privacy of individuals on whom data is collected

  • 💻 Ergonomic issues for participants entering large volumes of data

🗂️ Organising Data

  • 🌐 Current trends:

    • Increase in hypermedia as a result of the WWW

    • Ability of software to access different data types

    • Advances in display technology providing more ways to organise

  • 💸 Cost of poorly organised data (e.g., redundant data in mail-out databases)

  • 📆 Appropriateness of two-digit date fields in older systems vs current needs

📈 Analysing Data

  • 🚫 Unauthorised analysis of data

  • ❌ Incorrect analysis of data

  • 🔓 Erosion of privacy from linking databases

💾 Storing & Retrieving

  • 🔒 Security of stored data

  • 🚨 Unauthorised retrieval of data

  • 📀 Advances in storage & retrieval technologies (e.g., data matching)

⚙️ Processing

  • 🖥️ Types of computers on networks

  • 🔄 Flexibility from distributed processing (PCs on networks)

  • 🏢 Security from centralised processing (terminals)

  • 📑 Ownership of processed data

  • ⚖️ Bias in data processing by participants

📡 Transmitting & Receiving

  • ✅ Accuracy of data received from the Internet

  • 🔐 Security of transferred data

  • 🌍 Global issues: time zones, date fields, exchange rates

  • 🤝 Net-etiquette and acknowledgment of data source

  • 🏠 Changing nature of work: remote work & telecommuting

  • 📺 Current trends in digital communications (radio, TV, Internet)

  • 🛒 Impact of the Internet on traditional business

🖥️ Displaying Data

  • 🗣️ Communication skills of presenters

  • ⏳ Past, present, and emerging display trends

  • 🎯 Appropriate displays for different audiences:

    • Standards for visually impaired

    • Displays suitable for children

🏗️ Planning, Design & Implementation

  • ⚙️ Machine-centred systems simplify tasks for computers but reduce human role

  • 👤 Human-centred systems focus on participant effectiveness and satisfaction

  • 🔄 Changing relationships between participants after new system introduction

  • 🛡️ Safe work environments with new systems

  • 💡 Awareness of impact:

    • Opportunities to use skills

    • Meaningful work

    • Need for change

    • Opportunities for involvement & commitment

📚 Information Systems & Databases

  • 📝 Acknowledgment of data sources

  • 📜 Freedom of Information Act

  • 🔒 Privacy principles

  • ✅ Accuracy & reliability of data sources

  • 🔑 Access, ownership, and control of data

  • 📦 New trends: data warehousing & data mining

💬 Communication Systems

  • 📖 Sharing knowledge (not just data)

  • 📩 Messaging issues:

    • Less forceful/caring than in-person

    • Risk of misinterpretation

  • ⚖️ Power relationships

  • 🔐 Privacy & confidentiality

  • 🗑️ Electronic junk mail & information overload

  • 🛒 Internet trading implications:

    • Local taxation laws

    • Employment ramifications

    • Changing nature of business

  • 💳 Internet banking issues:

    • Security of banking details

    • Job losses from branch closures

  • 🌍 Removal of physical boundaries:

    • Work from home

    • Virtual organisations

    • Global trade without barriers

  • 👥 Supporting participants:

    • Individuals (communication)

    • Teams (exchange of ideas and data)

  • 📻 Emerging trends: accessing radio & video online

🎨 Multimedia Systems

  • 📝 Copyright & acknowledgment of source data

  • 🌐 Appropriate Internet use & new developments (e.g., live video)

  • 📺 Merging of radio, TV, and Internet via digitisation

  • 🎓 Integrity of original source data in education/multimedia

💳 Transaction Processing Systems

  • 🔄 Changing nature of work:

    • Automation of clerk jobs

    • Customers bypassing clerks (e.g., ATMs)

  • 🛑 Need for non-computer procedures when systems fail

  • ⚖️ Bias in data collection (during setup & ongoing collection)

  • 📊 Importance of data:

    • Security

    • Accuracy

    • Integrity

  • 🎮 Control in transaction processing & implications for participants