Software Engineering Ethical Principles

Computers have expanded its role in most fields such as education, government and the society as a whole. Software engineers are directly involved in analysis, design and implementation of systems designs. Software engineers play a vital role in either doing well or harming the users of the system(Lurie, & Mark, 2016). Therefore they need to adhere to the professional practice and software engineering code of ethics to uphold the purposes of the software engineering profession.

These code of ethics guides the ethically responsible relationship and the decisions of educators, trainers, supervisors and the policymakers. One of these principles is the public(Lurie, & Mark, 2016). The software engineers must act in a manner consistent with the public interest by taking full responsibility of their work, approving software in accordance to the safety specification, privacy, safety and sound quality of life. At no given point should software engineers support designs that expose the users to any harm.

Another principle is the client and the employee. Software engineers must focus on meeting the client and the employer’s requirement by exercising their competence and integrity in designing the applications (Lurie, & Mark, 2016). Additionally, they should not retain or use their clients or employer’s software illegally. For the reason that they handle confidential information of the clients, they should uphold professionalism by securing the privacy and confidentiality of the information they manage.

The above list of principles is not exhaustive. However, this list primarily guides the software engineer’s ethical decisions to ensure they adhere to the code of ethics in any given context. All these points aim at protecting the health, welfare and safety of the public. Nonetheless, these principles need to be adaptable and relevant in the continually evolving field of software engineering.

References

Lurie, Y., & Mark, S. (2016). Professional Ethics of Software Engineers: An Ethical Framework. Science and engineering ethics, 22(2), 417-434.