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. 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.
3. Moderate the interests of the software engineer, the employer, the client and the users with the public good.
4. 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.
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. 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. 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. 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. The Code helps to define those actions that are ethically improper to request of a software engineer or teams of software engineers.
10. The dynamic and demanding context of software engineering requires a code that is adaptable and relevant to new situations as they occur.
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. 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.
3. Improve their knowledge of this Code, its interpretation, and its application to their work.
4. 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.
5. Assign work only after taking into account appropriate contributions of education and experience tempered with a desire to further that education and experience.
6. Work to develop software and related documents that respect the privacy of those who will be affected by that software.
7. 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.
8. 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.
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. 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. Attract potential software engineers only by full and accurate description of the conditions of employment.
3. s humanity, in special care owed to people affected by the work of software engineers, and the unique elements of the practice of software engineering.
4. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Encourage colleagues to adhere to this Code.
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. 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. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Help develop an organizational environment favorable to acting ethically.
8. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Accept full responsibility for their own work.
9. 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.
10. 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.
1. Provide for due process in hearing charges of violation of an employer's policy or of this Code.
2. It is not intended that the individual parts of the Code be used in isolation to justify errors of omission or commission.
3. 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.
4. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
5. Support, as members of a profession, other software engineers striving to follow this Code.
6. The Code is not simply for adjudicating the nature of questionable acts; it also has an important educational function.
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. The Code provides an ethical foundation to which individuals within teams and the team as a whole can appeal.
9. In accordance with that commitment, software engineers shall adhere to the following Code of Ethics and Professional Practice.
10. 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.
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 Principles identify the ethically responsible relationships in which individuals, groups, and organizations participate and the primary obligations within these relationships.
3. 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.
4. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
5. Ethical tensions can best be addressed by thoughtful consideration of fundamental principles, rather than blind reliance on detailed regulations.
6. Identify, define and address ethical, economic, cultural, legal and environmental issues related to work projects.
7. The Code helps to define those actions that are ethically improper to request of a software engineer or teams of software engineers.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Be careful to use only accurate data derived by ethical and lawful means, and use it only in ways properly authorized.