1. 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.
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. Consider issues of physical disabilities, allocation of resources, economic disadvantage and other factors that can diminish access to the benefits of software.
4. 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.
5. Work to develop software and related documents that respect the privacy of those who will be affected by that software.
6. Recognize that personal violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional software engineer.
7. 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.
8. Maintain professional objectivity with respect to any software or related documents they are asked to evaluate.
9. 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.
10. Promote public knowledge of software engineering.
1. Take responsibility for detecting, correcting, and reporting errors in software and associated documents on which they work.
2. Ensure adequate documentation, including significant problems discovered and solutions adopted, for any project on which they work.
3. Be accurate in stating the characteristics of software on which they work, avoiding not only false claims but also claims that might reasonably be supposed to be speculative, vacuous, deceptive, misleading, or doubtful.
4. Credit fully the work of others and refrain from taking undue credit.
5. 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.
6. Improve their understanding of the software and related documents on which they work and of the environment in which they will be used.
7. Review the work of others in an objective, candid, and properly-documented way.
8. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Accept full responsibility for their own work.
9. Strive to fully understand the specifications for software on which they work.
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. The Code helps to define those actions that are ethically improper to request of a software engineer or teams of software engineers.
2. 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.
3. Principle 2: CLIENT AND EMPLOYERSoftware engineers shall act in a manner that is in the best interests of their client and employer, consistent with the public interest.
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. Principle 7: COLLEAGUESSoftware engineers shall be fair to and supportive of their colleagues.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. PRINCIPLESPrinciple 1: PUBLICSoftware engineers shall act consistently with the public interest.
10. 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.
1. Recognize that personal violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional software engineer.
2. The Code is not simply for adjudicating the nature of questionable acts; it also has an important educational function.
3. The Code helps to define those actions that are ethically improper to request of a software engineer or teams of software engineers.
4. Avoid associations with businesses and organizations which are in conflict with this code.
5. Report significant violations of this Code to appropriate authorities when it is clear that consultation with people involved in these significant violations is impossible, counter-productive or dangerous.
6. It is not intended that the individual parts of the Code be used in isolation to justify errors of omission or commission.
7. Not influence others to undertake any action that involves a breach of this Code.
8. Support, as members of a profession, other software engineers striving to follow this Code.
9. 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.
10. Improve their knowledge of this Code, its interpretation, and its application to their work.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. The Principles identify the ethically responsible relationships in which individuals, groups, and organizations participate and the primary obligations within these relationships.
4. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
5. Be careful to use only accurate data derived by ethical and lawful means, and use it only in ways properly authorized.
6. 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.
7. Ethical tensions can best be addressed by thoughtful consideration of fundamental principles, rather than blind reliance on detailed regulations.
8. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Help develop an organizational environment favorable to acting ethically.
9. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
10. 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.