1. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Help develop an organizational environment favorable to acting ethically.
2. Ensure that specifications for software on which they work have been well documented, satisfy the users’
3. Maintain professional objectivity with respect to any software or related documents they are asked to evaluate.
4. 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.
5. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Encourage colleagues to adhere to this Code.
6. 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.
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. 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. Approve software only if they have a well-founded belief that it is safe, meets specifications, passes appropriate tests, and does not diminish quality of life, diminish privacy or harm the environment.
10. 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.
1. Keep private any confidential information gained in their professional work, where such confidentiality is consistent with the public interest and consistent with the law.
2. Assign work only after taking into account appropriate contributions of education and experience tempered with a desire to further that education and experience.
3. 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.
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. Obey all laws governing their work, unless, in exceptional circumstances, such compliance is inconsistent with the public interest.
6. Credit fully the work of others and refrain from taking undue credit.
7. Improve their knowledge of relevant standards and the law governing the software and related documents on which they work.
8. 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.
9. Strive to fully understand the specifications for software on which they work.
10. 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.
1. 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.
2. Attract potential software engineers only by full and accurate description of the conditions of employment.
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. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Help develop an organizational environment favorable to acting ethically.
5. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Encourage colleagues to adhere to this Code.
6. Principle 2: CLIENT AND EMPLOYERSoftware engineers shall act in a manner that is in the best interests of their client and employer, consistent with the public interest.
7. 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.
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. 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.
10. 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.
1. Avoid associations with businesses and organizations which are in conflict with this code.
2. Not influence others to undertake any action that involves a breach of this Code.
3. Not ask a software engineer to do anything inconsistent with this Code.
4. It is not intended that the individual parts of the Code be used in isolation to justify errors of omission or commission.
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. Express concerns to the people involved when significant violations of this Code are detected unless this is impossible, counter-productive, or dangerous.
7. 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.
8. Support, as members of a profession, other software engineers striving to follow this Code.
9. Provide for due process in hearing charges of violation of an employer's policy or of this Code.
10. 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.
1. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Not punish anyone for expressing ethical concerns about a project.
5. The Principles identify the ethically responsible relationships in which individuals, groups, and organizations participate and the primary obligations within these relationships.
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. 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.
9. 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.
10. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:Help develop an organizational environment favorable to acting ethically.