1. Ensure that software engineers know the employer's policies and procedures for protecting passwords, files and information that is confidential to the employer or confidential to others.
2. Treat all forms of software maintenance with the same professionalism as new development.
3. Ensure that there is a fair agreement concerning ownership of any software, processes, research, writing, or other intellectual property to which a software engineer has contributed.
4. Consider issues of physical disabilities, allocation of resources, economic disadvantage and other factors that can diminish access to the benefits of software.
5. Ensure adequate testing, debugging, and review of software and related documents on which they work.
6. Be fair and avoid deception in all statements, particularly public ones, concerning software or related documents, methods and tools.
7. These situations require the software engineer to use ethical judgment to act in a manner which is most consistent with the spirit of the Code of Ethics and Professional Practice, given the circumstances.
8. However, even in this generality, the Code provides support for software engineers and managers of software engineers who need to take positive action in a specific case by documenting the ethical stance of the profession.
9. In particular, those managing or leading software engineers shall, as appropriate:Ensure good management for any project on which they work, including effective procedures for promotion of quality and reduction of risk.
10. To ensure, as much as possible, that their efforts will be used for good, software engineers must commit themselves to making software engineering a beneficial and respected profession.
1. Improve their knowledge of this Code, its interpretation, and its application to their work.
2. Identify, define and address ethical, economic, cultural, legal and environmental issues related to work projects.
3. These Principles should influence software engineers to consider broadly who is affected by their work; to examine if they and their colleagues are treating other human beings with due respect; to consider how the public, if reasonably well informed, would view their decisions; to analyze how the least empowered will be affected by their decisions; and to consider whether their acts would be judged worthy of the ideal professional working as a software engineer.
4. Ensure realistic quantitative estimates of cost, scheduling, personnel, quality and outcomes on any project on which they work or propose to work, and provide an uncertainty assessment of these estimates.
5. Ensure proper and achievable goals and objectives for any project on which they work or propose.
6. These Principles should influence software engineers to consider broadly who is affected by their work; to examine if they and their colleagues are treating other human beings with due respect; to consider how the public, if reasonably well informed, would view their decisions; to analyze how the least empowered will be affected by their decisions; and to consider whether their acts would be judged worthy of the ideal professional working as a software engineer.
7. Improve their knowledge of relevant standards and the law governing the software and related documents on which they work.
8. Strive to fully understand the specifications for software on which they work.
9. Work to follow professional standards, when available, that are most appropriate for the task at hand, departing from these only when ethically or technically justified.
10. Review the work of others in an objective, candid, and properly-documented way.
1. Software engineers are those who contribute by direct participation or by teaching, to the analysis, specification, design, development, certification, maintenance and testing of software systems.
2. In particular, software engineers shall continually endeavor to:Further their knowledge of developments in the analysis, specification, design, development, maintenance and testing of software and related documents, together with the management of the development process.
3. Principle 3: PRODUCTSoftware engineers shall ensure that their products and related modifications meet the highest professional standards possible.
4. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Accept full responsibility for their own work.
5. The Code contains eight Principles related to the behavior of and decisions made by professional software engineers, including practitioners, educators, managers, supervisors and policy makers, as well as trainees and students of the profession.
6. Ensure that software engineers are informed of standards before being held to them.
7. Principle 4: JUDGMENTSoftware engineers shall maintain integrity and independence in their professional judgment.
8. Principle 6: PROFESSIONSoftware engineers shall advance the integrity and reputation of the profession consistent with the public interest.
9. However, even in this generality, the Code provides support for software engineers and managers of software engineers who need to take positive action in a specific case by documenting the ethical stance of the profession.
10. Not unfairly intervene in the career of any colleague; however, concern for the employer, the client or public interest may compel software engineers, in good faith, to question the competence of a colleague.
1. Not ask a software engineer to do anything inconsistent with this Code.
2. The Code is not simply for adjudicating the nature of questionable acts; it also has an important educational function.
3. These situations require the software engineer to use ethical judgment to act in a manner which is most consistent with the spirit of the Code of Ethics and Professional Practice, given the circumstances.
4. Not influence others to undertake any action that involves a breach of this Code.
5. Recognize that violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional software engineer.
6. The Code provides an ethical foundation to which individuals within teams and the team as a whole can appeal.
7. The Code prescribes these as obligations of anyone claiming to be or aspiring to be a software engineer.
8. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Encourage colleagues to adhere to this Code.
9. Ensure that clients, employers, and supervisors know of the software engineer's commitment to this Code of ethics, and the subsequent ramifications of such commitment.
10. In all these judgments concern for the health, safety and welfare of the public is primary; that is, the "Public Interest" is central to this Code.
1. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
2. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Help develop an organizational environment favorable to acting ethically.
3. Ethical tensions can best be addressed by thoughtful consideration of fundamental principles, rather than blind reliance on detailed regulations.
4. As this Code expresses the consensus of the profession on ethical issues, it is a means to educate both the public and aspiring professionals about the ethical obligations of all software engineers.
5. These situations require the software engineer to use ethical judgment to act in a manner which is most consistent with the spirit of the Code of Ethics and Professional Practice, given the circumstances.
6. Work to follow professional standards, when available, that are most appropriate for the task at hand, departing from these only when ethically or technically justified.
7. As this Code expresses the consensus of the profession on ethical issues, it is a means to educate both the public and aspiring professionals about the ethical obligations of all software engineers.
8. Principle 5: MANAGEMENTSoftware engineering managers and leaders shall subscribe to and promote an ethical approach to the management of software development and maintenance .
9. Not punish anyone for expressing ethical concerns about a project.
10. Promote no interest adverse to their employer or client, unless a higher ethical concern is being compromised; in that case, inform the employer or another appropriate authority of the ethical concern.