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. 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.
3. The Code prescribes these as obligations of anyone claiming to be or aspiring to be a software engineer.
4. Ensure adequate testing, debugging, and review of software and related documents on which they work.
5. Improve their ability to create safe, reliable, and useful quality software at reasonable cost and within a reasonable time.
6. 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.
7. Not knowingly use software that is obtained or retained either illegally or unethically.
8. Extend software engineering knowledge by appropriate participation in professional organizations, meetings and publications.
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. 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. Take responsibility for detecting, correcting, and reporting errors in software and associated documents on which they work.
2. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Accept full responsibility for their own work.
3. 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.
4. Improve their understanding of the software and related documents on which they work and of the environment in which they will be used.
5. 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.
6. Ensure that specifications for software on which they work have been well documented, satisfy the users’
7. 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.
8. Ensure an appropriate method is used for any project on which they work or propose to work.
9. Identify, define and address ethical, economic, cultural, legal and environmental issues related to work projects.
10. Assign work only after taking into account appropriate contributions of education and experience tempered with a desire to further that education and experience.
1. 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.
2. In particular, those managing or leading software engineers shall, as appropriate:Ensure good management for any project on which they work, including effective procedures for promotion of quality and reduction of risk.
3. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Accept full responsibility for their own work.
4. Attract potential software engineers only by full and accurate description of the conditions of employment.
5. 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.
6. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Encourage colleagues to adhere to this Code.
7. 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.
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. Principle 3: PRODUCTSoftware engineers shall ensure that their products and related modifications meet the highest professional standards possible.
10. 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.
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 prescribes these as obligations of anyone claiming to be or aspiring to be a software engineer.
3. The dynamic and demanding context of software engineering requires a code that is adaptable and relevant to new situations as they occur.
4. Support, as members of a profession, other software engineers striving to follow this Code.
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 provides an ethical foundation to which individuals within teams and the team as a whole can appeal.
7. Not ask a software engineer to do anything inconsistent with this Code.
8. The Code helps to define those actions that are ethically improper to request of a software engineer or teams of software engineers.
9. Recognize that personal violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional software engineer.
10. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
1. Not punish anyone for expressing ethical concerns about a project.
2. 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.
3. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
4. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
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. Ethical tensions can best be addressed by thoughtful consideration of fundamental principles, rather than blind reliance on detailed regulations.
8. 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.
9. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Help develop an organizational environment favorable to acting ethically.
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.