The purpose of Computing, Ethics, and Social Responsibility: A Bibliography is to bring together in a single collection a comprehensive list of sources on computing issues that impact professional, ethical, and social responsibility. Since a number of bibliographic works on or related to computer ethics and computers in society already exist (see Appendix A), one may reasonably ask: "Why another bibliography?" Many of these bibliographies, including the most comprehensive collections, tend to concentrate on either ethical or social issues in computing and thus emphasize one set of issues at the exclusion of the other. A principal goal of the present bibliography is to include sources on both ethical and social issues in one work and to organize those sources under category headings familiar to computer professionals.

Completed in three phases or stages, this bibliography grew out of research for three courses I developed and taught at Rivier College in Nashua, NH: "Computer Ethics," "Technology, Values and Society," and "Philosophy and Computers." The idea for the bibliography was initially conceived as a project when I was developing a computer ethics course in 1990. Because my original work focused almost exclusively on sources related to ethical issues, it failed to include many of the broader social issues in computing. The original sections were organized into a series of topical areas that included: professional codes of ethics, moral responsibility, legal liability, reliability and computer-related risks, security, privacy, computer crime, and intellectual property.

When I prepared and taught a course in "Technology, Values, and Society" a few years later, I discovered many books and articles that complemented some sources and expanded upon others included in my original computer ethics bibliography. So the bibliography project became broader in scope, growing to include several new sections on social implications of computing. The sections on computers and work, computers and social power, computers and gender, computers and education, and computers and politics were added at that time.

I added the sections on artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) to the bibliography when I developed a new course in "Philosophy and Computers." In addition to examining connections between AI and the philosophy of mind/knowledge, and between VR and traditional metaphysics (theories of reality), this course considered questions regarding the implications of computers for our sense of "self." Among those considered was the question "Can a computer possess consciousness?" If the answer to this questions is "yes," then a new set of questions arise: "Can a computer be a person?," "Does a computer have rights?," and "Can a computer be a morally responsible agent?" And if the answer to questions such as these is "yes," we must then ask whether computer systems capable of possessing consciousness, rights, and moral responsibilities should ever be designed. This concern, of course, raises ethical questions regarding design decisions for computer professionals as well as policy decisions for lawmakers. To include an appropriate place in the bibliography for sources that consider these kinds of questions, a major section on the future of computing and the quality of life was added.

While many bibliographies list entries in alphabetical order by author, the present work organizes sources according to topics or categories. Bibliography users interested in locating sources on a certain topic, but who may also be unfamiliar with many of the authors that have contributed works on that topic, are, I believe, better served by a work that groups entries under familiar category headings than by one which presents all entries in one list alphabetized by author.

At least three features differentiate the present study from alternative bibliographic works. First, an entire unit of the bibliography (Part III) is dedicated to works on professional codes of ethics and issues of responsibility for computer professionals. While many bibliographic studies identify sources on these topics, none devotes a separate unit to them. The present bibliography includes sections on ethical and social issues that specifically impact computer programmers, engineers, technical writers, and other computer professionals.

Secondly, a complete unit (Part II) focuses on works related to teaching courses in computing, ethics, and social responsibility. Again, many bibliographic works include sources on teaching social and ethical issues in computing, but none dedicates an entire section to this topic and none contains as many entries on teaching-related issues.

A third distinguishing feature is the inclusion of a separate unit (Part V) devoted to works on the future of computing and the quality of life. I also believe that the sections of Part IV on ethical issues related to virtual reality, ethical/legal issues associated with electronic publications, and civil-liberties-related issues in cyberspace differentiate the present study from alternative works.

Though fairly comprehensive in scope, the bibliography does not purport to be exhaustive. I plan to update the bibliography on a regular basis and to include it on the world wide web. So if you have any comments or suggestions, please write to me at the Philosophy Department, Rivier College, Nashua, NH 03060 or send email to <htavani@rivier.edu>.