The field of information ethics (IE)--a subdivision of ethics--was developed during the 1980s, originating and maturing in library science and slowly working its way into other disciplines and practical applications. Some years later, a secondary field emerged, emphasizing theoretical and philosophical concepts, with little focus on real-world applicability.

The first of its kind, this comprehensive overview of IE evaluates the production, dissemination, storage, accessing and retrieval of information in an ethical context in areas including the humanities, sciences, medicine and business. A leading figure in the field, the author is concerned with misconduct (falsification, fabrication, plagiary), peer review, the law, privacy, imaging and robotics, among other matters.

Robert Hauptman is professor emeritus at St. Cloud State University and editor of the Journal of Information Ethics.