1. Approve software only if they have a well-founded belief that it is safe, meets specifications, passes appropriate tests, and does not diminish quality of life, diminish privacy or harm the environment.
2. Maintain professional objectivity with respect to any software or related documents they are asked to evaluate.
3. 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.
4. In accordance with that commitment, software engineers shall adhere to the following Code of Ethics and Professional Practice.
5. Improve their understanding of the software and related documents on which they work and of the environment in which they will be used.
6. 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.
7. Cooperate in efforts to address matters of grave public concern caused by software, its installation, maintenance, support or documentation.
8. 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.
9. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Accept full responsibility for their own work.
10. The Code helps to define those actions that are ethically improper to request of a software engineer or teams of software engineers.
1. 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.
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. Take responsibility for detecting, correcting, and reporting errors in software and associated documents on which they work.
4. 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.
5. Ensure an appropriate method is used for any project on which they work or propose to work.
6. Obey all laws governing their work, unless, in exceptional circumstances, such compliance is inconsistent with the public interest.
7. Review the work of others in an objective, candid, and properly-documented way.
8. Accept no outside work detrimental to the work they perform for their primary employer.
9. Ensure adequate testing, debugging, and review of software and related documents on which they work.
10. Improve their knowledge of this Code, its interpretation, and its application to their work.
1. 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.
2. Principle 7: COLLEAGUESSoftware engineers shall be fair to and supportive of their colleagues.
3. 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.
4. Principle 4: JUDGMENTSoftware engineers shall maintain integrity and independence in their professional judgment.
5. Ensure that software engineers are informed of standards before being held to them.
6. Principle 3: PRODUCTSoftware engineers shall ensure that their products and related modifications meet the highest professional standards possible.
7. Attract potential software engineers only by full and accurate description of the conditions of employment.
8. 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.
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. 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.
1. Provide for due process in hearing charges of violation of an employer's policy or of this Code.
2. 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.
3. 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.
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. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
6. 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.
7. Recognize that personal violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional software engineer.
8. Avoid associations with businesses and organizations which are in conflict with this code.
9. Recognize that violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional software engineer.
10. It is not intended that the individual parts of the Code be used in isolation to justify errors of omission or commission.
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. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
3. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Help develop an organizational environment favorable to acting ethically.
4. Principle 5: MANAGEMENTSoftware engineering managers and leaders shall subscribe to and promote an ethical approach to the management of software development and maintenance .
5. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
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. Not punish anyone for expressing ethical concerns about a project.
9. The Code helps to define those actions that are ethically improper to request of a software engineer or teams of software engineers.
10. The Principles identify the ethically responsible relationships in which individuals, groups, and organizations participate and the primary obligations within these relationships.