Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice (Version 5.2) as recommended by the ACM/IEEE-CS Joint Task Force on Software Engineering Ethics and Professional Practices and jointly approved by the ACM and the IEEE-CS as the standard for teaching and practicing software engineering.
Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice (Short Version)
PREAMBLE
The short version of the code summarizes aspirations at a high level of the abstraction; the clauses that are included in the full version give examples and details of how these aspirations change the way we act as software engineering professionals. Without the aspirations, the details can become legalistic and tedious; without the details, the aspirations can become high sounding but empty; together, the aspirations and the details form a cohesive code. Software engineers shall commit themselves to making the analysis, specification, design, development, testing and maintenance of software a beneficial and respected profession. In accordance with their commitment to the health, safety and welfare of the public, software engineers shall adhere to the following Eight Principles:
1. PUBLIC - Software engineers shall act consistently with the public interest.
2. CLIENT AND EMPLOYER - Software engineers shall act in a manner that is in the best interests of their client and employer consistent with the public interest.
3. PRODUCT - Software engineers shall ensure that their products and related modifications meet the highest professional standards possible.
4. JUDGMENT - Software engineers shall maintain integrity and independence in their professional judgment.
5. MANAGEMENT - Software engineering managers and leaders shall subscribe to and promote an ethical approach to the management of software development and maintenance.
6. PROFESSION - Software engineers shall advance the integrity and reputation of the profession consistent with the public interest.
7. COLLEAGUES - Software engineers shall be fair to and supportive of their colleagues.
8. SELF - Software engineers shall participate in lifelong learning regarding the practice of their profession and shall promote an ethical approach to the practice of the profession.
Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice (Full Version)
PREAMBLE
Computers have a central and growing role in commerce, industry, government, medicine, education, entertainment and society at large. 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. 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. 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. In accordance with that commitment, software engineers shall adhere to the following Code of Ethics and Professional Practice. 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. The Principles identify the ethically responsible relationships in which individuals, groups, and organizations participate and the primary obligations within these relationships. The Clauses of each Principle are illustrations of some of the obligations included in these relationships. These obligations are founded in the software engineer’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. The Code prescribes these as obligations of anyone claiming to be or aspiring to be a software engineer. It is not intended that the individual parts of the Code be used in isolation to justify errors of omission or commission. The list of Principles and Clauses is not exhaustive. The Clauses should not be read as separating the acceptable from the unacceptable in professional conduct in all practical situations. The Code is not a simple ethical algorithm that generates ethical decisions. In some situations standards may be in tension with each other or with standards from other sources. 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. Ethical tensions can best be addressed by thoughtful consideration of fundamental principles, rather than blind reliance on detailed regulations. 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. 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. The dynamic and demanding context of software engineering requires a code that is adaptable and relevant to new situations as they occur. 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. The Code provides an ethical foundation to which individuals within teams and the team as a whole can appeal. The Code helps to define those actions that are ethically improper to request of a software engineer or teams of software engineers. The Code is not simply for adjudicating the nature of questionable acts; it also has an important educational function. 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.
PRINCIPLES
Principle 1:
PUBLIC
Software
engineers shall act consistently with the public interest. In particular,
software engineers shall, as appropriate:
1.01. Accept
full responsibility for their own work.
1.02.
Moderate the interests of the software engineer, the employer, the client and
the users with the public good. 1.03. 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. The ultimate effect of the work should be to the public good.
1.04.
Disclose to appropriate persons or authorities any actual or potential danger
to the user, the public, or the environment, that they reasonably believe to be
associated with software or related documents
1.05.
Cooperate in efforts to address matters of grave public concern caused by
software, its installation, maintenance, support or documentation.
1.06. Be
fair and avoid deception in all statements, particularly public ones,
concerning software or related documents, methods and tools.
1.07.
Consider issues of physical disabilities, allocation of resources, economic
disadvantage and other factors that can diminish access to the benefits of
software.
1.08. Be
encouraged to volunteer professional skills to good causes and contribute to
public education concerning the discipline.
Principle 2:
CLIENT AND EMPLOYER
Software
engineers shall act in a manner that is in the best interests of their client
and employer, consistent with the public interest. In particular, software
engineers shall, as appropriate:
2.01.
Provide service in their areas of competence, being honest and forthright about
any limitations of their experience and education.
2.02. Not
knowingly use software that is obtained or retained either illegally or
unethically.
2.03. Use
the property of a client or employer only in ways properly authorized, and with
the client's or employer's knowledge and consent.
2.04. Ensure
that any document upon which they rely has been approved, when required, by
someone authorized to approve it.
2.05. Keep
private any confidential information gained in their professional work, where
such confidentiality is consistent with the public interest and consistent with
the law.
2.06.
Identify, document, collect evidence and report to the client or the employer
promptly if, in their opinion, a project is likely to fail, to prove too
expensive, to violate intellectual property law, or otherwise to be problematic.
2.07.
Identify, document, and report significant issues of social concern, of which
they are aware, in software or related documents, to the employer or the
client.
2.08. Accept
no outside work detrimental to the work they perform for their primary
employer.
2.09.
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.
Principle 3:
PRODUCT
Software
engineers shall ensure that their products and related modifications meet the
highest professional standards possible. In particular, software engineers
shall, as appropriate:
3.01. 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.
3.02. Ensure
proper and achievable goals and objectives for any project on which they work
or propose.
3.03.
Identify, define and address ethical, economic, cultural, legal and
environmental issues related to work projects.
3.04. 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.
3.05. Ensure
an appropriate method is used for any project on which they work or propose to
work.
3.06. 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.
3.07. Strive
to fully understand the specifications for software on which they work.
3.08. Ensure
that specifications for software on which they work have been well documented,
satisfy the users’ requirements and have the appropriate approvals.
3.09. 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.
3.10. Ensure
adequate testing, debugging, and review of software and related documents on
which they work.
3.11. Ensure
adequate documentation, including significant problems discovered and solutions
adopted, for any project on which they work.
3.12. Work
to develop software and related documents that respect the privacy of those who
will be affected by that software.
3.13. Be
careful to use only accurate data derived by ethical and lawful means, and use
it only in ways properly authorized.
3.14.
Maintain the integrity of data, being sensitive to outdated or flawed occurrences.
3.15 Treat
all forms of software maintenance with the same professionalism as new
development.
Principle 4:
JUDGMENT
Software
engineers shall maintain integrity and independence in their professional
judgment. In particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:
4.01. Temper
all technical judgments by the need to support and maintain human values.
4.02 Only
endorse documents either prepared under their supervision or within their areas
of competence and with which they are in agreement.
4.03.
Maintain professional objectivity with respect to any software or related
documents they are asked to evaluate.
4.04. Not
engage in deceptive financial practices such as bribery, double billing, or
other improper financial practices.
4.05.
Disclose to all concerned parties those conflicts of interest that cannot
reasonably be avoided or escaped.
4.06. Refuse
to participate, as members or advisors, in a private, governmental or
professional body concerned with software related issues, in which they, their
employers or their clients have undisclosed potential conflicts of interest.
Principle 5:
MANAGEMENT
Software
engineering managers and leaders shall subscribe to and promote an ethical
approach to the management of software development and maintenance. In
particular, those managing or leading software engineers shall, as appropriate:
5.01 Ensure
good management for any project on which they work, including effective
procedures for promotion of quality and reduction of risk.
5.02. Ensure
that software engineers are informed of standards before being held to them.
5.03. 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.
5.04. Assign
work only after taking into account appropriate contributions of education and
experience tempered with a desire to further that education and experience.
5.05. 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.
5.06.
Attract potential software engineers only by full and accurate description of
the conditions of employment.
5.07. Offer
fair and just remuneration.
5.08. Not
unjustly prevent someone from taking a position for which that person is
suitably qualified.
5.09. 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.
5.10.
Provide for due process in hearing charges of violation of an employer's policy
or of this Code.
5.11. Not
ask a software engineer to do anything inconsistent with this Code.
5.12. Not
punish anyone for expressing ethical concerns about a project.
Principle 6:
PROFESSION
Software
engineers shall advance the integrity and reputation of the profession
consistent with the public interest. In particular, software engineers shall,
as appropriate:
6.01. Help
develop an organizational environment favorable to acting ethically.
6.02.
Promote public knowledge of software engineering.
6.03. Extend
software engineering knowledge by appropriate participation in professional
organizations, meetings and publications.
6.04.
Support, as members of a profession, other software engineers striving to
follow this Code.
6.05. Not
promote their own interest at the expense of the profession, client or
employer.
6.06. Obey
all laws governing their work, unless, in exceptional circumstances, such compliance
is inconsistent with the public interest.
6.07. 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.
6.08. Take
responsibility for detecting, correcting, and reporting errors in software and
associated documents on which they work.
6.09. 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.
6.10. Avoid
associations with businesses and organizations which are in conflict with this
code.
6.11.
Recognize that violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional
software engineer.
6.12.
Express concerns to the people involved when significant violations of this
Code are detected unless this is impossible, counter-productive, or dangerous.
6.13. 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.
Principle 7:
COLLEAGUES
Software
engineers shall be fair to and supportive of their colleagues. In particular,
software engineers shall, as appropriate:
7.01.
Encourage colleagues to adhere to this Code.
7.02. Assist
colleagues in professional development.
7.03. Credit
fully the work of others and refrain from taking undue credit.
7.04. Review
the work of others in an objective, candid, and properly-documented way.
7.05. Give a
fair hearing to the opinions, concerns, or complaints of a colleague.
7.06. 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.
7.07. 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.
7.08. In
situations outside of their own areas of competence, call upon the opinions of
other professionals who have competence in that area.
Principle 8:
SELF
Software
engineers shall participate in lifelong learning regarding the practice of
their profession and shall promote an ethical approach to the practice of the
profession. In particular, software engineers shall continually endeavor to:
8.01.
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.
8.02.
Improve their ability to create safe, reliable, and useful quality software at
reasonable cost and within a reasonable time.
8.03.
Improve their ability to produce accurate, informative, and well-written
documentation.
8.04.
Improve their understanding of the software and related documents on which they
work and of the environment in which they will be used.
8.05. Improve
their knowledge of relevant standards and the law governing the software and
related documents on which they work.
8.06 Improve
their knowledge of this Code, its interpretation, and its application to their
work.
8.07 Not
give unfair treatment to anyone because of any irrelevant prejudices.
8.08. Not
influence others to undertake any action that involves a breach of this Code.
8.09. Recognize that personal
violations of this Code are inconsistent with being a professional software
engineer.
This Code was developed by the ACM/IEEE-CS joint task force on Software Engineering Ethics and Professional Practices (SEEPP):
Executive Committee: Donald Gotterbarn (Chair), Keith Miller and Simon Rogerson;
Members: Steve Barber, Peter Barnes, Ilene Burnstein, Michael Davis, Amr El-Kadi, N. Ben Fairweather, Milton Fulghum, N. Jayaram, Tom Jewett, Mark Kanko, Ernie Kallman, Duncan Langford, Joyce Currie Little, Ed Mechler, Manuel J. Norman, Douglas Phillips, Peter Ron Prinzivalli, Patrick Sullivan, John Weckert, Vivian Weil, S. Weisband and Laurie Honour Werth.
This Code may be published without permission as long as it is not changed in any way and it carries the copyright notice. Copyright (c) 1999 by the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. and the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.
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