Introduction to Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice

Software Engineering is one of the youngest in the engineering field. Though this has a history of a few decades, at present Software Engineering can be identified as one of the fastest growing and popular field in the industry. In the beginning Software Engineering hadn't the reputation as other industry fields. Main reason for that was numerous level of standards and unavailability of a professional body.

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE) has got the initiative of developing a professional body for the Information Technology related fields and jobs. Through this, it is expected to uplift the quality and maintain a better reputation in the industry for the Software Engineers. Developing a Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice is one of the step that have taken to implement necessary standards and practices in the industry. Association of Computing Machinery(ACS)/IEEE-CS joint task force has approved and recommended this code of ethics and professional practices software engineers.( View and download the: Code of Conduct )

The Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice is a practical framework for moral decision-making related to problems that software engineers may encounter.

The Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice is based upon eight general principles related to the following subjects: the public, client and employer, product, judgment, management, profession, colleagues, and self. Each of these general principles contains a list of clauses related to specific areas of potential moral concern for the practicing software engineer. Good judgment is still needed, however. In many situations, there is a conflict between two or more of the relevant clauses. At these times, the decision-maker must determine which of the clauses is most relevant and/or most important.

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 trade-offs 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.

Resources

The Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice - Version 5.2 which is 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.