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. Improve their knowledge of relevant standards and the law governing the software and related documents on which they work.
3. Ensure that software engineers are informed of standards before being held to them.
4. The Code helps to define those actions that are ethically improper to request of a software engineer or teams of software engineers.
5. Ensure that specifications for software on which they work have been well documented, satisfy the users’
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. Recognize that personal violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional software engineer.
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. Not knowingly use software that is obtained or retained either illegally or unethically.
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. Ensure an appropriate method is used for any project on which they work or propose to work.
2. Credit fully the work of others and refrain from taking undue credit.
3. Ensure proper and achievable goals and objectives for any project on which they work or propose.
4. Ensure that specifications for software on which they work have been well documented, satisfy the users’
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. 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. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Accept full responsibility for their own work.
8. Assign work only after taking into account appropriate contributions of education and experience tempered with a desire to further that education and experience.
9. 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.
10. Ensure adequate testing, debugging, and review of software and related documents on which they work.
1. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Temper all technical judgments by the need to support and maintain human values.
2. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Encourage colleagues to adhere to this Code.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. The Code helps to define those actions that are ethically improper to request of a software engineer or teams of software engineers.
7. 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.
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. Principle 7: COLLEAGUESSoftware engineers shall be fair to and supportive of their colleagues.
10. Attract potential software engineers only by full and accurate description of the conditions of employment.
1. 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.
2. Recognize that violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional software engineer.
3. The Code is not simply for adjudicating the nature of questionable acts; it also has an important educational function.
4. Recognize that personal violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional software engineer.
5. 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.
6. The Code prescribes these as obligations of anyone claiming to be or aspiring to be a software engineer.
7. 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.
8. It is not intended that the individual parts of the Code be used in isolation to justify errors of omission or commission.
9. In accordance with that commitment, software engineers shall adhere to the following Code of Ethics and Professional Practice.
10. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
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. Ethical tensions can best be addressed by thoughtful consideration of fundamental principles, rather than blind reliance on detailed regulations.
5. The Code helps to define those actions that are ethically improper to request of a software engineer or teams of software engineers.
6. The Principles identify the ethically responsible relationships in which individuals, groups, and organizations participate and the primary obligations within these relationships.
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. Be careful to use only accurate data derived by ethical and lawful means, and use it only in ways properly authorized.
9. Identify, define and address ethical, economic, cultural, legal and environmental issues related to work projects.
10. 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.