How to Write an Ethics Paper in 7 Simple Steps

Last Updated: 12 January 2023

Ethical choices are made daily in the realm of business and life in general. From the workplace to management, decision making is inevitable. When making such decisions, one has to align to a given ethical school of thought or ethical theory. Knowing how to write an ethics paper can be a determinant of whether you will make a great employee, leader, or professional, but it also determines if you will pass a course or not.

Ethics is defined as the moral framework (rules and principles), a branch of philosophy that answers the question of relationships, professional and moral duty, and justice. As students, you will be asked to write an ethics essay.

Before you get straight into writing this type of essay, it is important to understand what makes a good ethics paper.

In this comprehensive article, we focus on how to write ethics essays and research papers, what to consider when writing a business ethics essay paper, and some ethics paper topics to consider if one is not given in the essay prompt.

Here is how you can write an Ethics Paper in Seven Simple Steps

Step 1: Pick the Right Topic

We have emphasized that a great essay begins with a relevant essay topic. In the case of an ethics paper, the topic will define the paper's scope and your arguments.

When selecting an ethics topic, focus on a topic that is not overly descriptive. Preferably, choose a topic that will allow you to engage in a candid discussion and critical analysis of the ethical scenario based on ethical principles or theories.

The internet is a treasure when it comes to topic research. Even though many people would advise against using Wikipedia, it is a useful resource for getting ethics essay topic ideas. The knowledge that ethics essays are not descriptive but more analytical and persuasive focuses on topics that align with the essay types.

Step 2: Compose a Good Structure/Outline for the ethics paper

As indicated above, ethics essays and research papers require reasoning. In this respect, the best outline for your ethics essays should at least contain the following (you can use this as a checklist for your ethics essay outline):

Although there are no restrictions on what to include as part of your outline, you will be good to go if you write these basic components of an essay.

Step 3: Research for the Ethics Essay Paper

When writing any academic paper, research comes first. There are many good scholarly sources where students can access credible content to write papers and draw conclusions.

Primarily, your search can begin with a recap of the ethical principles and theories learned in class. This enables you to develop better arguments.

If you are wondering how to research for your ethics research paper, there is a simple way to do it, as we discuss shortly.

Step 4: Write the Introduction

With the thesis statement, background, and essay hook in place, you will need to connect the ideas into a suitable introduction.

Explain why exploring the topic is necessary. If there are possible connections to real-life situations, this is your chance to pull that in to convince the tutor or professor that they should be your audience right off the bat to the last dot.

In some papers, the tutors might insist on having a purpose statement and include the same. Ensure that your significant arguments and counterarguments reflect in the introduction.

Step 5: Write the Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs are meant to support your thesis. If you are writing an argumentative or persuasive ethics paper, the first two paragraphs will have your major arguments and the third one, your counterargument.

You have to follow the step-by-step structure you had formulated to ensure that the ideas flow. Like we always insist, have one idea in one paragraph. If there are many arguments you can make, choose the most convincing and sound arguments.

Step 6: Write the Conclusion

In the conclusion, restate your thesis not as is but as a paraphrased thesis statement and follow it with a summary of the entire paper.

Note that your conclusion must not contain any new information. As you wind up your paper, inform the readers about the importance of the ethical issue you selected and make your perspective on the topic clear.

Step 7: Edit and Proofread the Final Draft

Finally, when the rubber has hit the road, it is time to assess the paper to determine if it might make it to become an A-grade ethics research paper or essay. As we discuss shortly, there are simple tenets that make a paper score high grades.

As you edit the paper, focus on your principal arguments, and ask yourself the following questions:

If your paper answers all these questions, you can as well pat yourself on the back for an ethics paper well-written.

The Basic Outline/Structure of an Ethics Paper

I. Introduction

A.Hook sentence.
B. Background information on an ethical dilemma.
C. Writer's claim : a thesis statement.

II. Body Paragraphs

Argument

Counterargument

Rebuttal

III. Conclusion

A. Restate a thesis.
B. Sum up the argument, counterargument, and rebuttal.
C. State a final claim and make your point of view known.

How to Research for an ethics Essay Paper like a Pro

The first step when researching for an ethics paper is to get credible scholarly sources. You can use online databases such as Google Scholar, Google Books, Google Search, Ebscohost, Science Direct, or PubMed to bring facts to strengthen your ethical argument position.

While using the resources above, it is paramount to evaluate the sources. Only credible, relevant, and recent sources should be incorporated. If you are using your institution's database, be sure to set filters to include only references that are five years of age. However, in some extreme circumstances, you can relax the threshold to 10 years.

When evaluating the sources, check the authors' credentials, types of publication, citations used, and the date of publications. Resources like Google scholar give you other related papers that have cited the paper you are evaluating.

After gathering the sources, bookmark each of them, download them, and place them in a research folder. Revisit your outline to ascertain that you have gathered enough resources to support the ethics paper's arguments and counterarguments.

It can be useful to have note cards where you write a brief summary of the research. Highlight the major points in your essay. Depending on the PDF reader you are using, you can use different colors to annotate your sources.

Tips and Tricks to Write an Ethics Paper the Right Way

To begin with, most ethics essays are argumentative or persuasive. This is mainly because they involve deliberating between many theories of ethics, such as deontology, justice, virtue ethics, and utilitarianism.

If a medical ethics essay deals with science, you can find principles such as maleficence, beneficence, do no harm, informed consent, and confidentiality.

Before thinking of an ethics research paper, it is important to begin by reading the essay prompt. Typically, the ethics essay prompt outlines the issues of interest, case study (if any), the citation format, deadline, and scope of the paper.

After reading the prompt, you will follow the seven basic steps of writing an ethics paper, as previously outlined in this article.

Here are some tips on how to write an ethics paper:

  1. Avoid using a descriptive or rhetorical approach. Instead, be critical and analytical.
  2. Every word you use can haunt you. So be sure of the meaning before incorporating it in your writing. Simple is sometimes the best!
  3. Be clear, accurate, and concise. Ensure adjectives, verbs, and connectors are in their rightful places.
  4. Every argument left unsupported is gross misconduct and as good as nothing. Therefore, use the bible, if you must, a philosopher's observation or quote as well, and cite your scholarly sources.
  5. If it is a case study, stick to the content, and support your arguments rightfully.

Examples of Great Ethics Essay Topics to use in your Essays

A while ago, it was tough for me to develop the best topic ideas for an ethics essay. I struggled, and every time I made a choice, the professor turned it down. Well, if you are in the same shoe today, today is your luckiest day. Here are some 20 ethics essay topics:

  1. Is it ethical to eat swine meat?
  2. Should prostitution and drugs be legalized?
  3. Is there a basis for legalizing recreational marijuana?
  4. Does the legalization of marijuana affect youths?
  5. Is it possible that pandemics can be a population control strategy?
  6. Moral dilemma nurses face in the workplace
  7. Does ethical treatment apply to prisoners?
  8. What are some of the ethical priorities in the U.S.? Discuss the recent ethical issues such as LGBT relations, transgender, abortion, sex education, and physician-assisted suicide?
  9. Insider Trading. What are the ethical implications of insider trading?
  10. Greenwashing. Is greenwashing used by corporates in American ethical?
  11. Capital Punishment. Discuss corporal punishment from moral and ethical perspectives.
  12. The morality of the Death Penalty. Is the death penalty moral and the only means of capital punishment?
  13. Ethics in Artificial Intelligence. What are the ethical implications of using AI?
  14. Sex and Marriage. Is it ethical to have sex outside of marriage?
  15. Is it ethical or moral to continue with GMOs despite the public uproar?
  16. Ethics in hiring. Discuss the implications of nepotism, favoritism.
  17. Ethics of disclosures. Is it ethical for a doctor to disclose their errors for patients?
  18. Is it ethical for sports sponsors to use controversy to market? The case of Nike.
  19. War. Is there an ethical implication of rich nations starting wars in developing nations?
  20. Privacy. What are the ethical consequences of unmanned aerial vehicles like drones?
  21. Confidentiality. Online privacy and national security.
  22. Research. Can stem cells be tried in terminally ill persons without their consent?
  23. Test tube babies. Do test tube babies draw a moral debate?
  24. Ethics and Professionalism in Financial Advice
  25. Is artificial birth control ethical?
  26. Is it ethical to use stem cells from the human embryo for research?
  27. Is it ethical to hide infidelity from the other partner?
  28. Should capital punishment be allowed?
  29. Is human cloning right or a genetic disaster
  30. Are pharmaceutical companies moral by making profits from drugs?
  31. Ethics of pricing in the drug industry
  32. Why high prices by Big Pharma is immoral
  33. Balancing ethical and fiduciary responsibilities in drug pricing
  34. Ethics or politics : the pricing dilemma for drug companies
  35. Animal testing should be banned
  36. Should teens have plastic surgery?
  37. The ethics of media during the pandemic
  38. Should teachers be paid more than doctors?
  39. Should church and politics be separated?
  40. Separation of kids at the border is unethical?
  41. Countries should not have borders
  42. Movies should not portray violence 
  43. Assisted suicide should be allowed for terminally ill individuals
  44. Tobacco companies should contribute to climate change remedies
  45. Schools should enact strict anti-bullying policies
  46. Social media is becoming a platform for human trafficking
  47. Corporate social responsibility should not be used as a source of competitive advantage
  48. Parents should not post minors on social media
  49. Alcoholic beverages should not be advertised on TV
  50. No country should claim to be a superpower
  51. Corrupt politicians should be jailed and properties seized

Final Words and Extra Resources

Writing an ethics essay is a golden opportunity to prove your reasoning capacity and grasp of content. We are sure this guide can help you sail through the entire process. If you find yourself among those whose souls are forever tortured in the hellfire of tough essays, we can help.

Ask our professional essay writers for hire to help. You are guaranteed of a carefully composed ethics paper that meets all the academic writing conventions. Our service is forever online to help.

We are the most trusted website that helps students write sample business ethics essays. Trust us with your business ethics essay today. 

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