1. The Code helps to define those actions that are ethically improper to request of a software engineer or teams of software engineers.
2. 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.
3. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Temper all technical judgments by the need to support and maintain human values.
4. Recognize that personal violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional software engineer.
5. Attract potential software engineers only by full and accurate description of the conditions of employment.
6. Treat all forms of software maintenance with the same professionalism as new development.
7. Ensure that software engineers are informed of standards before being held to them.
8. 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.
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 there is a fair agreement concerning ownership of any software, processes, research, writing, or other intellectual property to which a software engineer has contributed.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Assign work only after taking into account appropriate contributions of education and experience tempered with a desire to further that education and experience.
4. Obey all laws governing their work, unless, in exceptional circumstances, such compliance is inconsistent with the public interest.
5. Take responsibility for detecting, correcting, and reporting errors in software and associated documents on which they work.
6. Keep private any confidential information gained in their professional work, where such confidentiality is consistent with the public interest and consistent with the law.
7. Credit fully the work of others and refrain from taking undue credit.
8. Ensure that specifications for software on which they work have been well documented, satisfy the users’
9. Review the work of others in an objective, candid, and properly-documented way.
10. Ensure an appropriate method is used for any project on which they work or propose to work.
1. In accordance with that commitment, software engineers shall adhere to the following Code of Ethics and Professional Practice.
2. The Code helps to define those actions that are ethically improper to request of a software engineer or teams of software engineers.
3. Support, as members of a profession, other software engineers striving to follow this Code.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
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. Principle 6: PROFESSIONSoftware engineers shall advance the integrity and reputation of the profession consistent with the public interest.
1. The Code prescribes these as obligations of anyone claiming to be or aspiring to be a software engineer.
2. 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.
3. The Code provides an ethical foundation to which individuals within teams and the team as a whole can appeal.
4. Recognize that violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional software engineer.
5. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
6. Express concerns to the people involved when significant violations of this Code are detected unless this is impossible, counter-productive, or dangerous.
7. Not influence others to undertake any action that involves a breach of this Code.
8. Not ask a software engineer to do anything inconsistent with this Code.
9. The Code is not simply for adjudicating the nature of questionable acts; it also has an important educational function.
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.
1. 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.
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. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
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. Principle 5: MANAGEMENTSoftware engineering managers and leaders shall subscribe to and promote an ethical approach to the management of software development and maintenance .
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. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Help develop an organizational environment favorable to acting ethically.
10. Identify, define and address ethical, economic, cultural, legal and environmental issues related to work projects.