1. The Code helps to define those actions that are ethically improper to request of a software engineer or teams of software engineers.
2. 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.
3. Be fair and avoid deception in all statements, particularly public ones, concerning software or related documents, methods and tools.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Strive to fully understand the specifications for software on which they work.
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. Maintain professional objectivity with respect to any software or related documents they are asked to evaluate.
9. The Code prescribes these as obligations of anyone claiming to be or aspiring to be a software engineer.
10. 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.
1. Assign work only after taking into account appropriate contributions of education and experience tempered with a desire to further that education and experience.
2. Ensure adequate testing, debugging, and review of software and related documents on which they work.
3. 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.
4. 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.
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. Credit fully the work of others and refrain from taking undue credit.
7. 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.
8. Ensure proper and achievable goals and objectives for any project on which they work or propose.
9. Strive to fully understand the specifications for software on which they work.
10. 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.
1. 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.
2. Principle 6: PROFESSIONSoftware engineers shall advance the integrity and reputation of the profession consistent with the public interest.
3. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Temper all technical judgments by the need to support and maintain human values.
4. PRINCIPLESPrinciple 1: PUBLICSoftware engineers shall act consistently with the public interest.
5. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Help develop an organizational environment favorable to acting ethically.
6. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Encourage colleagues to adhere to this Code.
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. In accordance with that commitment, software engineers shall adhere to the following Code of Ethics and Professional Practice.
10. Ensure that software engineers are informed of standards before being held to them.
1. Express concerns to the people involved when significant violations of this Code are detected unless this is impossible, counter-productive, or dangerous.
2. 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.
3. Recognize that personal violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional software engineer.
4. Not influence others to undertake any action that involves a breach of 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. 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.
7. 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.
8. It is not intended that the individual parts of the Code be used in isolation to justify errors of omission or commission.
9. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
10. The Code prescribes these as obligations of anyone claiming to be or aspiring to be a software engineer.
1. 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.
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. Ethical tensions can best be addressed by thoughtful consideration of fundamental principles, rather than blind reliance on detailed regulations.
4. 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.
5. Principle 5: MANAGEMENTSoftware engineering managers and leaders shall subscribe to and promote an ethical approach to the management of software development and maintenance .
6. Be careful to use only accurate data derived by ethical and lawful means, and use it only in ways properly authorized.
7. Identify, define and address ethical, economic, cultural, legal and environmental issues related to work projects.
8. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
9. The Code provides an ethical foundation to which individuals within teams and the team as a whole can appeal.
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.