It's not cricket: laws of the game, or guidance on ethical reflection for information professionals in Western Europe

The game of cricket is played according to a set of laws, but even more important than these is a consciousness of unwritten principles of conduct that is expected to inspire the cricketer. It is argued that the maturity of ethical guidance available to information professionals can be assessed by examining the same two elements. Some examples of codes of ethical conduct for information professionals from Western European countries are examined for suggestions as to whether they either seek to prescribe lines of conduct, or to encourage ethical reflection and well-considered decisions by individual professionals. An approach to developing systems of guidance on professional ethics based on codes of ethics, but incorporating case study material and the codes of other relevant associations, is suggested.