1. The Code prescribes these as obligations of anyone claiming to be or aspiring to be a software engineer.
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. 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.
4. Extend software engineering knowledge by appropriate participation in professional organizations, meetings and publications.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Work to develop software and related documents that respect the privacy of those who will be affected by that software.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
1. Ensure adequate testing, debugging, and review of software and related documents on which they work.
2. Identify, define and address ethical, economic, cultural, legal and environmental issues related to work projects.
3. 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.
4. 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.
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. Work to develop software and related documents that respect the privacy of those who will be affected by that software.
7. Ensure an appropriate method is used for any project on which they work or propose to work.
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. Review the work of others in an objective, candid, and properly-documented way.
10. 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.
1. PRINCIPLESPrinciple 1: PUBLICSoftware engineers shall act consistently with the public interest.
2. 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.
3. Support, as members of a profession, other software engineers striving to follow this Code.
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. Principle 7: COLLEAGUESSoftware engineers shall be fair to and supportive of their colleagues.
6. Principle 6: PROFESSIONSoftware engineers shall advance the integrity and reputation of the profession consistent with the public interest.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Help develop an organizational environment favorable to acting ethically.
1. 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.
2. Not ask a software engineer to do anything inconsistent with this Code.
3. Provide for due process in hearing charges of violation of an employer's policy or of this Code.
4. The Code is not simply for adjudicating the nature of questionable acts; it also has an important educational function.
5. The Code provides an ethical foundation to which individuals within teams and the team as a whole can appeal.
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 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.
8. Recognize that personal violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional software engineer.
9. 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.
10. 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.
1. 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.
2. Not punish anyone for expressing ethical concerns about a project.
3. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
4. 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.
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. 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.
7. 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.
8. Ethical tensions can best be addressed by thoughtful consideration of fundamental principles, rather than blind reliance on detailed regulations.
9. 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.
10. Identify, define and address ethical, economic, cultural, legal and environmental issues related to work projects.