Rules for Responsible Whistleblowing

Adapted by Stanley Maloy from:

Gunsalus, C. K. 1998. How to blow the whistle and still have a career afterwards.
Science Engineering Ethics 4: 51–64.
  1. Consider alternative explanations. (You may be wrong.)
  2. Ask questions, don't accuse. (Get the other side of the story.)
  3. Be aware of any documentation that supports your concerns and know where it is. (Your concerns will be more convincing if there is concrete evidence.)
  4. Separate your personal and professional problems. (Exposing your personal problems may make your testimony seem less convincing.)
  5. Think about how you think the problem should be resolved. (If you don't know what you want, you may not like the final outcome.)
  6. Seek advice from someone you can trust and take it seriously. (Consult someone in a position to objectively evaluate the issues and listen carefully to what they say.)
  7. Get a second opinion and take it seriously also. (If you are going to file charges, you want to make sure you are doing the right thing.)
  8. If you decide to initiate formal proceedings it will be much easier if you have support. (Are there others who can verify your claims and would be willing to back you up?)
  9. Find out where to file charges and make sure you do it properly.
  10. File the charges as objectively as possible. (You do not want to appear like you are pushing a personal vendetta.)
  11. Throughout the investigation, ask questions and keep thorough notes. (Good records will help you remember important details you may need to recap later.)
  12. Be patient. (A careful, fair evaluation is likely to be much slower than you think it should be.)
This page is maintained by Gary Olsen. Please send any comments, suggestions or questions to: gary@life.illinois.edu
Last modified January 26, 2010