When you're writing a non-fiction piece, you need to have an understanding of non-fiction writing ethics and best practices. These include fact-checking correctly, portraying facts accurately in your writing, and ensuring you research with integrity.

Doing research is an important part of the publishing process, and it is the responsibility of the author to do it. As much as the content needs to be engaging, it is important for your author brand to follow ethics in research. Checking facts can be done productively and can be a rewarding part of the writing journey.

Non-Fiction Writing Ethics and Fact-Checking

If it's not fiction, it's fact, so non-fiction writing can in some ways be understood as factual writing, which is to say the writing contains at least some facts. That's not to say there's no room for opinion in your non-fiction work because there absolutely is. But it's important to understand non-fiction writing ethics around being accurate in clarifying if you are presenting your own personal opinion (or the opinion of someone else) or if you are providing facts that are backed up by research.

Fact vs Opinion

So, how do we know if we are presenting a fact or an opinion? A fact can be understood to be something that is widely known to be true. We could get into a whole debate around how we can't know anything with 100% certainty and how there were things once held to be facts that are now disproved, but this isn't the article for that!

We can call something a fact if it can be reasonably believed to be true based on evidence. It is a fact because you have proof that it is true. We know the sky is blue and the grass is green because we can see that those things are true.

Opinions, on the other hand, are subjected. Whether they are your own personal opinions or those of someone else, they can't be considered facts unless there is proof. We may develop opinions based on facts or our own personal experience.

It is a fact that dogs are animals, but it is an opinion if you think your dog is the best dog of all (one that could lead to a wide spread debate among dog lovers everywhere).

Accuracy in Writing Is Key

In non-fiction works, it is crucial to use accuracy in writing. But how can you do that? Here are some things to consider about non-fiction writing ethics related to accuracy:

You must differentiate between facts and opinions.
If you are giving an opinion held by someone else, you have to portray it accurately. It is unethical to lie about what someone else has said.
When giving your own opinion, provide the basis of the opinion. So if it is based on life experience, make that clear.
If you are saying something is a fact, you need to have proof.
Clearly indicate what the sources for the facts are.
If you have a vested interest in someone or something you are talking about, make that known.
When writing about findings from research, give the context of the research. This could include what the sample size for the research was or where the person conducting the research went to do so.

How to Fact-Check

In the modern digital world, fact-checking has become pivotal. With an abundance of fake news, fabricated stories, and bot-generated content, the truth can be difficult to uncover. This is why it is crucial that you fact-check.

The key thing to remember about checking the legitimacy of facts is that everything that is presented as a fact should have a reliable source behind it. If an article mentions the findings of a study, it is important that you go and check the original study for the truth.

Research Integrity

When conducting your fact-checking, remember the key principles of research integrity. If you are writing a nonfiction book, it is you, the author, who is responsible for the accuracy of the writing and the truth of the content. When you are researching, ask yourself:

Is the source reliable?
Could the source be biased?
Are there more than one source to back up this claim?
Are the conclusions drawn from the research reasonable?
Is there more research required?
Are there conflicting views on the subject?

In Summary

If you are writing nonfiction, it is important to research and back up any facts correctly. In order to write ethically, you must make it clear what your sources for facts are. In addition, it is crucial that you differentiate between proven facts and your own opinion.