1. Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice (Full Version)PREAMBLEComputers have a central and growing role in commerce, industry, government, medicine, education, entertainment and society at large.

2. 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.

3. Improve their ability to create safe, reliable, and useful quality software at reasonable cost and within a reasonable time.

4. 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.

5. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Accept full responsibility for their own work.

6. Ensure that software engineers are informed of standards before being held to them.

7. Not knowingly use software that is obtained or retained either illegally or unethically.

8. Work to develop software and related documents that respect the privacy of those who will be affected by that software.

9. 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.

10. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Temper all technical judgments by the need to support and maintain human values.

1. Improve their knowledge of relevant standards and the law governing the software and related documents on which they work.

2. 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.

3. Assist colleagues in being fully aware of current standard work practices including policies and procedures for protecting passwords, files and other confidential information, and security measures in general.

4. Strive to fully understand the specifications for software on which they work.

5. Ensure proper and achievable goals and objectives for any project on which they work or propose.

6. s humanity, in special care owed to people affected by the work of software engineers, and the unique elements of the practice of software engineering.

7. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Accept full responsibility for their own work.

8. 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.

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. Ensure that they are qualified for any project on which they work or propose to work by an appropriate combination of education and training, and experience.

1. 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.

2. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Provide service in their areas of competence, being honest and forthright about any limitations of their experience and education.

3. Support, as members of a profession, other software engineers striving to follow this Code.

4. 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.

5. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Strive for high quality, acceptable cost and a reasonable schedule, ensuring significant tradeoffs are clear to and accepted by the employer and the client, and are available for consideration by the user and the public.

6. 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.

7. Ensure that software engineers are informed of standards before being held to them.

8. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Temper all technical judgments by the need to support and maintain human values.

9. 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.

10. Principle 7: COLLEAGUESSoftware engineers shall be fair to and supportive of their colleagues.

1. The Code provides an ethical foundation to which individuals within teams and the team as a whole can appeal.

2. The dynamic and demanding context of software engineering requires a code that is adaptable and relevant to new situations as they occur.

3. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Encourage colleagues to adhere to this Code.

4. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.

5. Improve their knowledge of this Code, its interpretation, and its application to their work.

6. The Code prescribes these as obligations of anyone claiming to be or aspiring to be a software engineer.

7. 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.

8. It is not intended that the individual parts of the Code be used in isolation to justify errors of omission or commission.

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. Not ask a software engineer to do anything inconsistent with this Code.

1. Not punish anyone for expressing ethical concerns about a project.

2. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.

3. Be careful to use only accurate data derived by ethical and lawful means, and use it only in ways properly authorized.

4. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Help develop an organizational environment favorable to acting ethically.

5. Principle 8: SELFSoftware engineers shall participate in lifelong learning regarding the practice of their profession and shall promote an ethical approach to the practice of the profession.

6. Identify, define and address ethical, economic, cultural, legal and environmental issues related to work projects.

7. The Principles identify the ethically responsible relationships in which individuals, groups, and organizations participate and the primary obligations within these relationships.

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. Principle 5: MANAGEMENTSoftware engineering managers and leaders shall subscribe to and promote an ethical approach to the management of software development and maintenance .

10. Ethical tensions can best be addressed by thoughtful consideration of fundamental principles, rather than blind reliance on detailed regulations.