TITP105 The IT Professional Assignment Sample
ASSESSMENT DESCRIPTION:
Students are required to analyse the weekly lecture material of weeks 1 to 11 and create concise content analysis summaries (reflective journal report) of the theoretical concepts contained in the course lecture slides.
Where the lab content or information contained in technical articles from the Internet or books helps to fully describe the lecture slide content, discussion of such theoretical articles or discussion of the lab material should be included in the content analysis.
The document structure is as follows (3500 Words):
1. Title Page
2. Introduction (100 words)
3. Background (100 words)
4. Content analysis (reflective journals) for each week from 1 to 11 (3200 words; approx. 300 words per week):
a. Theoretical Discussion
i. Important topics covered
ii. Definitions
b. Interpretations of the contents
i. What are the most important/useful/relevant information about the content?
c. Outcome
i. What have I learned from this?
5. Conclusion (100 words)
Your report must include:
• At least five references, out of which, three references must be from academic resources.
• Harvard Australian referencing for any sources you use.
• Refer to the Academic Learning Skills student guide on Referencing.
GENERAL NOTES FOR ASSESSMENT TASKS
Content for Assessment Task papers should incorporate a formal introduction, main points and conclusion.
Appropriate academic writing and referencing are inevitable academic skills that you must develop and demonstrate in work being presented for assessment. The content of high quality work presented by a student must be fully referenced within-text citations and a Reference List at the end.
Solution
1. Introduction
The main aim to write this reflective journal report is to analyse the lectures of weeks 1 to 11 regarding ethics in information technology. This reflective journal will describe various roles for IT professionals and social, personal, legal and ethical impacts arising from their work. The role of the professional associations which are available to IT professionals will also be described in this reflective journal. It will assess the relationship between IT professionals and the issues of governance, ethics and corporate citizenship. I will critically analyse and review the IT professional Codes of Conduct and Codes of Ethics in this reflective journal report. This will help to develop a personal ethical framework for best assignment help.
2. Background
Technology offers various opportunities and benefits to people worldwide. However, it also gives the risk of abolishing one's privacy. Information technology must conduct business or transfer Information from one place to another in today's era. With the development of Information Technology, the ethics in information technology has become important as information technology can harm one's Intellectual property rights. Ethics among IT professionals can be defined as their attitude in order to complete something base on their behaviour. IT professionals need to have high ethics to process the data to control, manage, analyse, maintain, control, design, store and implement. Information Technology professionals face several challenges in their profession. It is their role and responsibility to solve these issues. The ethics of information technology professionals guide them to handle these issues in their work.
3. Content analysis
Week 1
a. Theoretical discussion
i. Important topics covered
In week 1, an overview of Ethics was discussed. Ethical behaviours generally accepted norms that evolve according to the evolving needs of the society or social group who share similar values, traditions and laws. Morals are the personal principles that guide an individual to make decisions about right and wrong (Reynolds, 2018). On the other hand, the law is considered as a system of rules which guide and control an individual to do work.
ii. Definitions
Corporate Social Responsibility: Corporate social responsibility adheres to organisational ethics. It is a concept of management that aims to integrate social and environmental concerns for promoting well-being through business operations (Carroll and Brown, 2018, p. 39). Organisational ethics and employee morale lead to greater productivity for managing corporate social responsibility.
b. Interpretation
The complex work environment in today's era makes it difficult to implement Codes of Ethics and principles regarding this in the workplace. In this context, the idea of Corporate Social Responsibility comes. CSR is the continuing commitment by a business that guides them to contribute in the economic development and in ethical behaviour which have the potentiality to improve the life quality and living of the employees and local people (Kumar, 2017,p. 5). CSR and good business ethics must create an organisation that operates consistently and fosters well-structured business practices.
c. Outcome
From these lectures in the 1st week, I have learned the basic concepts of ethics and their role and importance in business and organisation. There are several ways to improve business ethics in an organisation by establishing a corporate code of ethics, establishing a board of directors to set high ethical standards, conducting social audits and including ethical quality criteria in their organisation's employee appraisal. I have also learned the five-step model of ethical decision making by defining the problem, identifying alternatives, choosing an alternative, implementing the final decisions and monitoring the outcomes.
Week 2
a. Theoretical discussion
i. Important topics covered
In the 2nd week, the ethics for IT professionals and IT users were discussed. IT workers are involved in several work relationships with employers, clients, suppliers, and other professionals. The key issues in the relationship between the IT workers and the employer are setting and implementing policies related to the ethical use of
IT, whistleblowing and safeguarding trade secrets. The BSA |The Software Alliance and Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) trade groups represent the world's largest hardware and software manufacturers. Their main aim is to prevent unauthorised copying of software produced by their members.
ii. Definition
Whistle-blowing refers to the release of information unethically by a member or a former member of an organisation which can cause harm to the public interest(Reynolds, 2018). For example, it occurs when an employee reveals that their company is undergoing inappropriate activities (Whistleblowing: balancing on a tight rope, 2021).
b. Interpretation
The key issues in the relationship between IT workers and clients are preventing fraud, misinterpretation, the conflict between client's interests and IT workers' interests. The key issues in the relationship between the IT workers and the suppliers are bribery, separation of duties and internal control. IT professionals need to monitor inexperienced colleagues, prevent inappropriate information sharing and demonstrate professional loyalty in their workplace. IT workers also need to safeguard against software piracy, inappropriate information sharing, and inappropriate use of IT resources to secure the IT users' privacy and Intellectual property rights and ethically practice their professions so that their activities do not harm society and provide benefits to society.
c. Outcome
I have learnt the various work relationships that IT workers share with suppliers, clients, IT users, employers and other IT professionals.
Week 3
a. Theoretical discussion
i. Important topics covered
In week 3, the ethics for IT professionals and IT users further discussed extensively, and the solutions to solve several issues that IT professionals’ faces were discussed. IT professionals need to have several characteristics to face these issues and to solve them effectively. These characteristics are the ability to produce high-quality results, effective communication skills, adhere to high moral and ethical standards and have expertise in skills and tools.
ii. Definition
A professional code of ethics is the set of principles that guide the behaviour of the employees in a business (Professional code of ethics [Ready to use Example] | Workable, 2021). It helps make ethical decisions with high standards of ethical behaviour, access to an evaluation benchmark for self-assessment, and trust and respect with the general public in business organisations.
b. Interpretation
Licensing and certification increase the effectiveness and reliability of information systems. IT professionals face several ethical issues in their jobs like inappropriate sharing of information, software piracy and inappropriate use of computing resources.
c. Outcome
I have learned several ways that organisations use to encourage the professionalism of IT workers. A professional code of ethics is used for the improvement of the professionalism of IT workers. I have learnt several ways to improve their ethical behaviour by maintaining a firewall, establishing guidelines for using technology, structuring information systems to protect data and defining an AUP.
Week 4
a. Theoretical discussion
i. Important topics covered
In week 4, the discussion was focused on the intellectual property and the measurements of the organisations to take care of their intellectual properties. Intellectual property is the creations of the mind, like artistic and literary work, inventions, symbols and designs used in an organisation. There are several ways to safeguard an organisation's intellectual property by using patents, copyright, trademark and trade secret law.
ii. Definition
A patent is an exclusive right to the owner of the invention about the invention, and with the help of that the owner have the full power to decide that the how the inventios will be used in future(Reynolds, 2018). Due to the presence of Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the access of technology protected works has become illegal.. It limits the liability of ISPs for copyright violation by their consumers. Trademarks are the signs which distinguish the goods and services of an organisation from that of other organisations. There are several acts that protect Trademarks secrets, such as the Economic Espionage Act and Uniform Trade Secrets Acts.
b. Interpretation
Open-source code can be defined by any program which have the available source code for modification or use. Competitive intelligence refers to a systematic process initiated by an organisation to gather and analyse information about the economic and socio-political environment and the other competitors of the organisation (Shujahat et al. 2017, p. 4). Competitive intelligence analysts must avoid unethical behaviours like misinterpretation, lying, bribery or theft. Cybercasters register domain names for famous company names or trademarks with no connection, which is completely illegal.
c. Outcome
I have learnt several current issues related to the protection of intellectual property, such asreverse engineering,competitive intelligence,cybersquatting, and open-source code. For example, reverse engineering breaks something down to build a copy or understand it or make improvements. Plagiarism refers to stealing someone's ideas or words without giving them credits.
Week 5
a. Theoretical Discussion
i. Important topics covered
The ethics of IT organisations include legal and ethical issues associated with contingent workers. Overview of whistleblowing and ethical issues associated with whistleblowing is being addressed (Reynolds, 2018). Green computing is the environmental and eco-friendly use of resources and technology(Reynolds, 2018). In this topic, there is the definition of green computing and what is initially the organisations are taking to adopt this method.
ii. Definition
Offshore Outsourcing: This is a process of outsourcing that provides services to employees currently operating in a foreign country(Reynolds, 2018). Sometimes the service is provided to different continents. In the case of information technology, the offshore outsourcing process is common and effective. It generally takes place when the company shifts some parts or all of its business operation into another country for lowering cost and improving profit.
b. Interpretation
The most relevant information about the context is whistleblowing and green computing. Whistleblowing is the method of drawing public attention to understand unethical activity and misconduct behaviour within private, public, and third sector organisations (HRZone. 2021).
c. Outcome
After reading the book, I have learned that green computing and whistleblowing are vital factors for the organisation's work. I have also learned about the diverse workforce in tech firms and the factors behind the trend towards independent contractors—the need and effect of H1-B workers in the organisation. Furthermore, the legal and ethical issues associated with green computing and whistleblowing have also been made.
Week 6
a. Theoretical discussion
i. Important topics covered
In this chapter, the importance of software quality and important strategies to develop a quality system. Software quality is defined as the desirable qualities of software products. Software quality consists of two main essential approaches include quality attributes and defect management. Furthermore, the poor-quality software also caused a huge problem in the organisation (Reynolds, 2018). The development model including waterfall and agile development methodology. Lastly, the capability maturity model integration which is a process to improve the process.
ii. Definition
System-human interface: The system-human interface helps improve user experience by designing proper interfaces within the system(Reynolds, 2018). The process facilitates better interaction between users and machines. It is among the critical areas of system safety. The system performance depends largely upon the system-human interface. The interaction between humans and the system takes place through an interaction process. Better interaction improves UX.
b. Interpretation
The useful information about the context is the software quality and the important strategies to improve the quality of software. The Capability Maturity Model Integration is the next generation of CMM, and it is the more involved model incorporating the individual disciplines of CMM like system engineering CMM and people CMM (GeeksforGeeks. 2021).
c. Outcome
After reading the context, I have concluded that software quality is one of the essential elements for the development of business. The software derives predictability from improving productivity in the business. The software quality decreases the rework, and the product and services are delivered on time. The theories and facts that are involved in developing the strategies that are involved in developing the software quality in the organisation.
Week 7
a. Theoretical discussion
i. Important topics covered
In this context, it will discuss privacy, which is one of the most important features for the growth and development of individuals and organisations. The right, laws, and various strategies to mitigate ethical issues are adopted (Reynolds, 2018). The e-discovery can be defined as the electronic aspect ofidentifying, collecting, and producing electronically stored information for the production of investigation and lawsuit.
ii. Definition
Right of Privacy: The privacy of information and confidentiality of vital information comes under the right of privacy(Reynolds, 2018). In information technology, the privacy right helps in managing the access control and provides proper security to the user and system information. This also concerns the right not to disclose an individual's personal information to the public.
b. Interpretation
The most relevant in the context are privacy laws that are responsible for the protection of individual and organisation's rights. The protection laws include the European Union data protection directive, organisation for economic cooperation and development, and general data protection regulation that protect the data and information of the individual and company (Reynolds, 2018). Furthermore, the key and anonymity issues that exist in the workplace like cyberloafing. The employees exercised the practice to use the internet access for personal use without doing their work.
c. Outcome
I have learned from this context that privacy is required for every organisation to protect the private information about the personal information and credentials that are present in the company—privacy along with developed technology that secures the data and information about the organisation. I have also got information about the ways and technological development to protect the data.
Week 8
a. Theoretical discussion
i. Important topics covered
In this context, it is discussed freedom of expression, meaning the right to hold information and share decisions without any interference. Some of the vital issues of freedom of expression include controlling access to information on the internet, censorship to certain videos on the internet, hate speech,anonymity on the internet, pornography, and eradication of fake news often relevant on the internet (Reynolds, 2018).
ii. Definition
Freedom of Expression: Freedom of expression denotes the ability to express the thoughts, beliefs, ideas, and emotions of an individual or a group (Scanlon, 2018, p. 24). It is under the government censorship which promotes the right to express and impart information regardless of communication borders which include oral, written, the art of any other form.
b. Interpretation
The most important information regarding the context is John Doe Lawsuits. It is a law that helps to identify the anonymous person who is exercising malicious behaviour like online harassment and extortion. Fake news about any information that is irrelevant, which are however removed by several networking websites. However, the fake news sites and social media websites are shared by several videos and images cause confusion and misinterpretation regarding a particular subject (Reynolds, 2018).
c. Outcome
After reading the book, I have concluded that the internet is a wide platform where several malicious practices are carried out, like fake news, hate speech, and many other practices practised on the internet. I have also gained information about several laws and regulations to protect the right and regulations on the internet, including the telecommunication act 1996 and the communication decency act 1997.
Week 9
a. Theoretical discission
i. Important topics covered
In this context, it will be discussed about cyberattacks and cybersecurity. Cyberattacks are an assault launched by an anonymous individual from one or more computers using several network chains (Reynolds, 2018). A cyber-attack can steal personal information a can disable the computer. On the other hand, cybersecurity is the practice of protecting information from cyberattacks. There are several methods to protect the internet from malware, viruses and threats.
ii. Definition
Cyber espionage: This is the process of using computer networks for gaining illicit access to confidential information(Reynolds, 2018). The malicious practice increases the risk of data breaching. It steals sensitive data or intellectual property, typically preserved by a government entity or an organisation (Herrmann, 2019, p. 94). Cyber espionage is a threat to IT companies, especially as it targets the digital networks for information hacking.
b. Interpretation
The most important aspect in this context is intrusion detection system, proxy servers like a virtual private network. The intrusion detection system is the software that alerts the servers during the detection of network traffic issues. The proxy servers act as an intermediator between the web browser and another web server on the internet. The virtual private network enables the user to access the organisation's server and use the server to share data by transmitting and encryption over the Internet (Reynolds, 2018).
c. Outcome
After reading the entire context, I have gained information about several cyberattacks and cybersecurity. Cyber attackers like crackers, black hat hackers, malicious insiders, cyberterrorists, and industrial spies (Reynolds, 2018). Cybersecurity like CIA security trial. Department of homeland security, an agency for safer and secure America against cyber threats and cyberterrorism. The transport layer security is the organisation to secure the internet from cyber threats between the communicating application and other users on the Internet (Reynolds, 2018).
Week 10
a. Theoretical discussion
i. Important topics covered
In this context, it is discussed about social media and essential elements associated with social media. Social media can be defined as modern technology that enhances the sharing of thoughts, ideas, and information after establishing various networks and communities (Reynolds, 2018). Several companies adopt social media marketing to sell their services and products on the internet by creating several websites across the Internet.
ii. Definition
Earned Media: It is observed in brand promotions in organisations where media awareness awarded through promotion(Reynolds, 2018). It is also considered the organic media, which may include television interviews, online articles, and consumer-generated videos. It is not a paid media; rather, it is voluntarily awarded to any organisation. The earned media value is calculated through website referrals, message resonance, mentions, and article quality scores.
b. Interpretation
The most important aspect of social media marketing where the internet is used to promote products and services. As per the sources, global social media marketing spends nearly doubled from 2014 to 2016, increasing from 15$ billion to 30$ billion—organic media marketing and viral marketing as one important aspect of social media marketing.
c. Outcome
I have gained much information about social media and elements of social media marketing, which encourages marketers to sell their products and services to another individual across the internet. Social media is a vast platform that has both advantages and disadvantages aspect. The issues regarding social media including social networking ethical issues that are causing harmful threats and emotional distress on the individual. There is a solution to these issues, which is adopted by several organisations like fighter cyberstalking, stalking risk profile, and many more.
Week 11
a. Theoretical discussion
i. Important topics covered
This context will eventually discuss the impact of information technology on society. The information impacts the gross domestic product and standard of living of people residing in developed countries. Information technology has made the education system more productive and effective. The process of e-learning has allowed the students to study from their homes. The health care system is also affected by information technology.
ii. Definition
Robotics: It is the design and construction of machines (robots) for performing tasks done by human beings (Malik and Bilberg, 2018, p. 282). It promotes autonomous machine operating systems for easing the burden and complexity of human labour. In this case, artificial intelligence helps to improve the development process of machines by incorporating the machine learning process. Automobile manufacturing industries use robotics design for safeguarding humans from environmental hazards.
b. Interpretation
The most information aspect of the topic is the artificial intelligence and machine learning have impacted the growth of IT. Artificial intelligence includes data and human intelligence processes that include activities like learning, reasoning, and self-correction. Machine learning is the process to talk with the technology through machine languages.
c. Outcome
I have gained much information about information technology and its impact on the organisation and people. The innovation and development occurred vastly due to the effect of social media.
4. Conclusion
It is to be concluded that this reflective journal report describes all the aspects of ethics in information technology by providing an understanding of the ethical, legal and social implications of information technology that IT professionals need to nurture in their professional work. Critical analysis of the privacy, freedom of expression, common issues of IT professionals, solutions of these issues are reflected in this journal report. The journal report also attempts to address the ethical issues in the IT workplace. An understanding of IT and ethics needed in IT professionals to achieve success is reflected in this journal report.