Software Engineering Code of

Ethics and Professional Practice

IEEE Code of Ethics
Software Engineering Code of Ethics and
Professional Practice
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.
Software Engineering Code of Ethics and
Professional Practice
• 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
IEEE Code of Ethics
1. to accept responsibility in making decisions consistent with the
safety, health, and welfare of the public, and to disclose promptly
factors that might endanger the public or the environment; [public]
2. to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible,
and to disclose them to affected parties when they do exist;
3. to be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on
available data;
4. to reject bribery in all its forms;
5. to improve the understanding of technology; its appropriate
application, and potential consequences;
IEEE Code of Ethics
6. to maintain and improve our technical competence and to undertake
technological tasks for others only if qualified by training or experience, or
after full disclosure of pertinent limitations;
7. to seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical work, to
acknowledge and correct errors, and to credit properly the contributions of
others;
8. to treat fairly all persons and to not engage in acts of discrimination
based on race, religion, gender, disability, age, national origin, sexual
orientation, gender identity, or gender expression;
9. to avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or employment by
false or malicious action;
10. to assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional development
and to support them in following this code of ethics.