1. Identify, document, and report significant issues of social concern, of which they are aware, in software or related documents, to the employer or the client.
2. Be fair and avoid deception in all statements, particularly public ones, concerning software or related documents, methods and tools.
3. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Encourage colleagues to adhere to this Code.
4. Refuse to participate, as members or advisors, in a private, governmental or professional body concerned with software related issues, in which they, their employers or their clients have undisclosed potential conflicts of interest.
5. In accordance with that commitment, software engineers shall adhere to the following Code of Ethics and Professional Practice.
6. The Code prescribes these as obligations of anyone claiming to be or aspiring to be a software engineer.
7. Disclose to appropriate persons or authorities any actual or potential danger to the user, the public, or the environment, that they reasonably believe to be associated with software or related documents.
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. 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. Ensure that specifications for software on which they work have been well documented, satisfy the users’
1. Ensure proper and achievable goals and objectives for any project on which they work or propose.
2. Take responsibility for detecting, correcting, and reporting errors in software and associated documents on which they work.
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. Keep private any confidential information gained in their professional work, where such confidentiality is consistent with the public interest and consistent with the law.
5. Improve their knowledge of this Code, its interpretation, and its application to their work.
6. Obey all laws governing their work, unless, in exceptional circumstances, such compliance is inconsistent with the public interest.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Strive to fully understand the specifications for software on which they work.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Help develop an organizational environment favorable to acting ethically.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Accept full responsibility for their own work.
7. Support, as members of a profession, other software engineers striving to follow this Code.
8. 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.
9. Because of their roles in developing software systems, software engineers have significant opportunities to do good or cause harm, to enable others to do good or cause harm, or to influence others to do good or cause harm.
10. Ensure that software engineers are informed of standards before being held to them.
1. Provide for due process in hearing charges of violation of an employer's policy or of this Code.
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. 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.
4. Not influence others to undertake any action that involves a breach of this Code.
5. 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.
6. The dynamic and demanding context of software engineering requires a code that is adaptable and relevant to new situations as they occur.
7. The Code provides an ethical foundation to which individuals within teams and the team as a whole can appeal.
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. Recognize that personal violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional software engineer.
10. Express concerns to the people involved when significant violations of this Code are detected unless this is impossible, counter-productive, or dangerous.
1. Principle 5: MANAGEMENTSoftware engineering managers and leaders shall subscribe to and promote an ethical approach to the management of software development and maintenance .
2. 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.
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. The Principles identify the ethically responsible relationships in which individuals, groups, and organizations participate and the primary obligations within these relationships.
6. Identify, define and address ethical, economic, cultural, legal and environmental issues related to work projects.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Be careful to use only accurate data derived by ethical and lawful means, and use it only in ways properly authorized.
10. 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.