Draft version 1.7 beta — Revised October 29, 2026
← Return to the table in Chapter 4, § 5
Defamation
A topic page linked from Chapter 4, § 5, Examples of Reported Violations of Enforceable Ethics Codes.
Definition
It should go without saying that you (and I) should respect the dignity of every other person, and refrain from harming others. That seems like a fundamental moral principle that needs little justification or explanation. Black's Law Dictionary1 defines defamation as "a false written or oral statement that damages another's reputation," or "malicious or groundless harm to the reputation or good name of another by the making of a false statement to a third person."
Some statements promoting collegiality or prohibiting defamatory acts were found in the ethics documents of all eight organizations I selected for their ethics codes. Defamation poisons relationships and can cause real harm to the perpetrator, the target, and the professional community they shared before the harm occurred.
Relevant provisions in geoethics codes
AAPG – § 4a; AEG – § 3.1; AGI – § 1.9; AGU – § VIC8; AIPG – § 4.2.1 ASBOG – § 16.4b; CAL – § c8; GSA – § 4.2.
Code Abbreviations
- AAPG — American Association of Petroleum Geologists, AAPG Code of Ethics (2024), Link to current document
- AEG — Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists, AEG Code of Conduct (2018), Link to current document
- AGU — American Geophysical Union, AGU Scientific Integrity and Professional Ethics (2023), Link to current document
- AIPG — American Institute of Professional Geologists, AIPG Code of Ethics (2019), Link to current document
- ASBOG — Association of State Boards of Geology, Model Rules and Regulations, Section 16, Code of Ethics (2019), Link to current document; see pages 27 to 29.
- Cal — Regulations Relating to the Practices of Geology and Geophysics, California Code of Regulations, Title 16, Division 29, Section 3065, Professional Standards and Code of Professional Conduct – Professional Geology and Professional Geophysics (2026), Link to current document; see pages 30 to 33.
Notes and References
1 Garner, B.A. [editor], 2024, Black's Law Dictionary [12th edition]: St. Paul, MN, Thompson Reuters, ISBN 979-8-350-29089-9, 2071 p.; quoted clauses are from p. 525.