The design of a code of ethics for text editors

Abstract

Language practitioners the world over have been struggling for professional recognition for many years. In many instances the emphasis has been on establishing measures like legislation to regulate the industry. However, many institutions have also realised that external regulation such as legislation is not enough and that language practitioners in general and text editors specifically needed an internal regulating mechanism. This mechanism was not just something internal to the industry but was more personal, and therefore internal to practitioners themselves. In this regard a properly designed code of ethics was regarded as an indispensable means of setting out to text editors what may be regarded as proper conduct in carrying out their work. No code of ethics for text editors in South Africa exists and text editors who are members of the South African Translators' Association (SATI) subscribe to the code for translators. This is an undesirable state of affairs as it is important for practitioners to feel that a code is specific to them and "belongs" to them in order for them to subscribe to it. More than that, because a code is part of an internal value system it is important for practitioners to internalise such a code for it to be effective. This study, aimed at the design of a code of ethics for text editors, therefore strove to achieve two aims. The first aim was to design a code of ethics for text editors with reference to existing codes in other related fields, gleaning common elements from them. The second aim was to involve a selection of practising text editors in the refinement of the draft code in order to finalise it, thus ensuring that the code would be acceptable to the people most affected by it. The result of the project was the establishment of a code that was acceptable to all the practitioners involved up to the conclusion of the project. This code will be of value in filling the vacuum in this branch of language practice where no ethical guidelines existed before.

Language practitioners the world over have been struggling for professional recognition for many years. In many instances the emphasis has been on establishing measures like legislation to regulate the industry. However, many institutions have also realised that external regulation such as legislation is not enough and that language practitioners in general and text editors specifically needed an internal regulating mechanism. This mechanism was not just something internal to the industry but was more personal, and therefore internal to practitioners themselves. In this regard a properly designed code of ethics was regarded as an indispensable means of setting out to text editors what may be regarded as proper conduct in carrying out their work. No code of ethics for text editors in South Africa exists and text editors who are members of the South African Translators' Association (SATI) subscribe to the code for translators. This is an undesirable state of affairs as it is important for practitioners to feel that a code is specific to them and "belongs" to them in order for them to subscribe to it. More than that, because a code is part of an internal value system it is important for practitioners to internalise such a code for it to be effective. This study, aimed at the design of a code of ethics for text editors, therefore strove to achieve two aims. The first aim was to design a code of ethics for text editors with reference to existing codes in other related fields, gleaning common elements from them. The second aim was to involve a selection of practising text editors in the refinement of the draft code in order to finalise it, thus ensuring that the code would be acceptable to the people most affected by it. The result of the project was the establishment of a code that was acceptable to all the practitioners involved up to the conclusion of the project. This code will be of value in filling the vacuum in this branch of language practice where no ethical guidelines existed before.