Ethical Protocols in Professional Practice in

Software Engineering
Jumana Noor Raima Rashid Rabail Shafique Satti
Software Engineering Department Software Engineering Department Software Engineering Department
Fatima Jinnah Women University Fatima Jinnah Women University Fatima Jinnah Women University
Rawalpindi,Pakistan Rawalpindi,Pakistan Rawalpindi,Pakistan
jumanakhan98@gmail.com raimarashid610@gmail.com rabail.shafique@fjwu.edu.pk

Abstract—Computer ethics play a vital role in
building the character and reputation of a software
engineer. In this paper we explain how software
engineering ethics reflect the work style of a software
computing professional. Along with this, the paper
highlights the ethical issues faced by professionals in
their practice and how they are dealing with them.
The central purpose of this paper is to increase the
concern of SE professionals towards the ethical
codes of conduct in SE and justify their importance
and significance in professional practices.
Keywords—ethics, computing professional, code of
conduct, professional practice
impact of engineering ethics and solution, where they
will learn how to take ethical and proper decisions, to
develop an understanding of safety and security, effect
of decision on society, laws and regulation to work in
a professional environment.
The main purpose of the paper is to illustrate a
framework for engineers to connect their professional
working styles with ethical responsibilities [3]. It
enlighten the concept that professional knowledge is
necessary but implanting ethical approach results in
the success of any profession [4]. Each profession has
its main concerns, the figure below shows the main
concerns of the field of software engineering.

1. INTRODUCTION
Software Engineering
What do you mean by ethics?
Ethics are the moral behavior that governs a person’s Social context of
behavior. They are basically socially acceptable Ethical and
computing
professional
behavior or a way to live with people. It helps us to liabilities
differentiate things from right to wrong, justice and
evil. Ethics applies moral within the society that can
either be professional, educational, political, religious, Violation to cyber Privacy and
entertaining, culture-related or even familial[1]. laws and confidentiality
As computers have become an important and vital part computer crime
in almost all the professional fields as well as have a
greater and stronger impacts in society. Now as the
technology is expanding rapidly, the responsibility of
Techniques to Intellectual
the professional who devote themselves in the analyze ethical property
different phases of software development i.e. discussions and
designing, analyzing, maintaining and evaluating is disputations
increasing and growing in short spans of time. [2]
Therefore the system designer must be aware that their
project is legally and socially applicable as well as it Fig1: Software Engineering concerns
conforms to the ethics of the profession. This must be
kept in mind so that their efforts will be contributing
in the well-being of community and profession by Moreover, the paper demonstrates that engineering
encouraging and indorsing the ethical approach. decisions totally relies on engineering and ethical
Ethics are and should be the main part of any protocols.
profession and different boards prefer that the
What does the term ethical protocols means
educational institute must take this responsibility of
according to software engineering?
providing students the environment to understand the
Computer Ethics is a set of rules that control the usage
of computers. It can also be said that they are the study
of analysis on impact of computers and technology on
society and nature or the study of different decisions
under variety of policies and moral values that are
morally acceptable in engineering domain [5].They
are defined for every type of domain whether software
or medical etc. As the technology expands, systems
tend to have greater effect on society, hence these
ethics awakens the discussion of how much
importance and significance computers have in
multiple areas such as AI and communication.
This ethical behavior prepares the professional to take
rational, unbiased and better decisions and promoting
a motivation to others to practice this behavior in their
work too.
With increasing automation, these software ethics will
continue to play a vital role to report different issues
raised by newer technology. [6]
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
The research paper is related to ethics, their
significance and issues faced by engineers when
taking a decisions.
IEEE and ACM worked together under a joint task
force and produced an output called SECEPP
(“Software Engineering Code of Ethics and
Professional Practice”) [7].
The logical and reasonable basis for ethics, their need
and usage and how they will benefit the business and
stakeholders were discussed many decades ago by
Prior [8], Smith [9] and E. Lemmon [10] in 1958, 1960
and 1963 respectively. As ethical issues has also been
discussed whenever ethical behavior and protocols are
discussed the above research was then pursued by
Anderson [11] in 1967 and in his research he
highlighted some problem in the logic of ethics i.e. its
reasoning about the rules and conduct, permission and
rights.
In 1991, Gotterbarn additionally illustrates that
software engineers encounter some issues while
practicing the ethics in their line of work [12]. In 1996,
Henry and Pierce discussed that one’s own code,
workplace code and the formal code of conduct
basically determines the proper and ethical behavior
and how much they effect on the life and work of a
professional [13].
In 2006, Boella et al. [14] depicts some advantages and
significance of ethics and socially acceptable behavior
and propose that norms, rules and regulation in the
occupation helps us to administer and organize the
instructions and decision among negotiators. In 2009,
Hall discusses about the importance of good ethical
approaches and how it benefits the business and
customers [15].
But then In 2010, Allhoff prescribes that code of ethics
are not confined for some special field, they can be
made and implemented in various field and named the
ethics to applied ethics where he represented his views
in the light of science and engineering [16]. In 2011,
R. Earatta et.al explained the approach to develop
achievable and worthy software where they can design
the system by changing some aspects of SDLC and
taking some feasible steps like less paper and power
consumption, low greenhouse gases depletion to make
our system an environment friendly and sustainable
software product contributing to well-being of society.
Later in 2013, Singh [17] defines ethics as a base for
leading and controlling the socio-technical systems
where the needs of shareholders and customers are
given importance and are considered while taking
major decisions.
In 2017, Galhotra comes up with new idea to test if a
software systems represents any type of
discriminatory conduct, that technique was named
“fairness testing technique”. It helps us to focus more
on quality, privacy, security and effectiveness of the
software that are essential part of any system.
M. Sgroe [18], in 2017, demonstrate the problems of
software engineering domain. Some of them are bugs,
theft, copyrights and patents and responsibility. These
issues are common but they are the ones that create
problems in further work. In the same year P. Wayner
[19] emphasized on some other obstacles and ethical
dispute including the security and confidentiality of
colleagues and customers.
3. SIGNIFICANCE OF ETHICAL PROTOCOLS IN SE
Why learn professional ethics?
Professional ethics are basically proposed to enhance
the ability of professionals to think rationally, realize
their respective responsibility and to reflect their
decisions critically according to ethics in their activity.
There are multiple reasons as why to learn the
professional ethics:
 To increase the understanding of ethics
 Increase in the knowledge of other standards and
conduct
 Making computing a service to mankind
 Deliver a sense of competence and professional
accountability to others
 Providing tools and environment to take better
decisions
 Developing an intellect in people to provide
comprehensive judgment and result
 Identifying moral concerns
Ethics helps us to analyze, design, develop and
maintain the software for better and effective quality
software.
“Systems engineers” basically have some
responsibilities different from other fields:[1]
•The first responsibility of system engineers is to
confirm that the product of system totally depends
on customers’ needs instead of the engineers and
his company.
•Another responsibility of engineers is to supervise
and incorporate the work that differs from his
expertise which later results in better understanding
of various domains along with SE.
Ethics creates trustworthiness and reliability among
shareholders within business. Following are some
advantages of ethics in business domain [20]
Better Ethics Benefits Deals
Better ethics create and maintain a good environment
in which the customers feel trusted and remain loyal to
the companies. This loyalty provokes other companies
to start the practice and promote their organization in
an ethical manner.
Same Rules for Everyone
When code of ethics are written for a company, it
becomes an obligation for all the members of the
company whether he is a CEO or the lowest member
in the hierarchy. This helps us to build the overall
vision and motto of our organization. For example,
Apple has made a set of rules for its company mostly
based on trust, respect and privacy. The organization
promised to promote “business ethically, honestly, and
in full compliance with applicable laws and
regulations.”
Reporting avoidance to Higher Positions
When a set of rules are defined, any one avoiding the
rules and regulations can be reported to the HR section
so that the problem can be rectified before it gets worse
and lead to the decline of the organization.
Responsibility and Remedy
Written documentation makes it compulsory for
people to follow rules, it means that when an employee
is not following the rules, the leader have a legal right
to make a decision according to the ethics and laws
and can even dismiss them for the problem. If the
problem is negotiable, he has a right to compensate the
criticism and complaints.
4. CONDUCT AND CODE OF ETHICS IN SE
Code of conduct refers to a set of rules that implies on
persons who are a part of a certain community or
organization and it is the responsibility of every
individual to respect and fulfil them. The code of
conduct in SE regarding ethics is the series of
guidelines which is to be followed by every software
professional. Every professional should confirm to
these code of ethics and consider their fulfillment as
an ethical as well as professional responsibility.
Many science and engineering communities and
organizations publish their ethical code of conduct.
The content of their code may vary depending on their
origin and field but the sole purpose of all these
publications is to provide an ethical guideline to
engineering professionals and to ensure that they
maintain professional as well as ethical standards in
their professional practice [21]. These codes do not
only provide guidelines rather they also provide
support to engineering professionals in unpleasant or
unexpected situations. However, they may not
produce a complete solution, but it will help the
software engineer to generate the best possible
solution through ethical judgment which is most
consistent with these code of ethics.
The software engineering code of ethics followed
world widely are produced by the IEEE computer
society and the ACM. These are the two leading
computing organizations who worked together and
formed these code of conduct through a Joint Task
Force. This code does not only states the do’s and
don’ts of a SE professional rather it plays a vital role
in educating both public and professionals regarding
the ethical principles followed in the field of software
engineering. Along with this, the protocols defined in
this code are adaptable enough to cope with the
dynamic and demanding nature of the field of software
engineering. It is the responsibility of each software
professional to not only commit to these ethical
protocols and apply them in their professional practice
but also consider any violation to this code as a serious
offense.
The ethical protocols stated below are the obligations
imposed on every engineer to maintain a certain
standard in their professional practice [22]. They
should commit themselves to make software
engineering a respected and beneficial profession and
ensure that their professional work and behavior is
influenced by these protocols.
In accordance with this code of conduct, software
engineers must follow and respect the following
defined protocols:-
 Software Engineers must serve in a way that
is beneficial for the public. They should not
cause harm or damage to anyone by taking
advantage of their technical skills or by
 producing faulty software systems. They
should ensure that their work enhances the
quality of life and has positive effect on
public.
 Software Engineers should maintain a
healthy relationship with their client and
employer. They should be honest towards
their client and employer regarding their
competency and experience. Along with this
they should uphold a constructive and
helpful conduct towards their client and
employer.
 Software Engineers should strive to produce
products of highest quality within provided
budget and time. They should refrain from
generating a system which is faulty or
harmful to others. The product produced by
a good software engineer must meet the
specifications of the user along with the
standards of quality.
 Software Engineers must preserve
individual independence and integrity in
their professional judgment. They should
evaluate systems honestly and should
provide appropriate feedback.
 Software Engineers should must adopt
efficient management skills. They should
encourage an ethical and positive approach
towards the processes of development and
maintenance of software systems.
 Software Engineers must struggle and
streamline their efforts to enhance the
reputation and integrity of their profession.
Their work and behavior should must reflect
a good and positive impression of the field
of software engineering and they should not
prefer their personal interest over their
professional interest.
 Software Engineers should have a helpful
and respectful approach towards their
colleagues and should assist them in their
professional work. They must encourage
their colleagues to adapt these protocols and
apply them in their professional practice.
 Software Engineers should adopt a lifelong
learning approach and promote the same
approach to other SE professionals as well.
They should always be in a state of learning
new trends of technology and improving
their current abilities and understanding of
software systems.
4. ETHICAL ISSUES IN SE
In this section we will discuss the ethical issues faced
by the SE professionals. The major point highlighted
in this section describes what types of ethical problems
are encountered by software engineers and how these
problems are faced and overcome by them. It is not
necessary that an ethical issue in the field of software
engineering is initiated by an SE professional rather it
can be initiated by anyone with weak ethical and moral
values [23]. It is then the responsibility of the SE
professional to deal with the issue through an ethical
approach with reference to the ethical protocols stated
in the code of conduct as the code of conduct is
supposed to serve as a source of help and assistance in
situations of ethical tensions.
Ethical issues are not only violations to the code of
ethics in fact the domain of ethical issues ranges from
all sorts of immoral behaviors to illegal actions. The
consequence for the miscreant is not a physical
punishment every time rather in most of the cases the
miscreant loses his credibility, respect and reputation
[24]. A software engineer must not only be ethically
strong but also he should be capable enough of
knowing how to handle issues regarding ethical abuse.
Stated below are the ethical issues faced most
frequently by SE professionals in their practice:-
 Privacy concerns
Software engineers should respect and
honor the privacy of others. They should
not misuse their technical skills to invade
the privacy of others. They should
maintain and confidentiality boundaries
and protect the private information of their
clients and employers from invaders to
make sure that their data is not misused in
any sense.
 Trustworthiness
Software engineers should maintain such a
reputation that their client and employer
must be able to trust them. They should not
lie to their clients and employers and
should perform their duties honestly.
 Unauthorized access or use of resources
Software engineers must encourage
authorized access and use of resources.
They should penalize the culprit who
breaks this rule and illegally makes use of
computing systems and resources.
 Copyright and patent issues
Software Engineers should respect and
adhere to copyright and patent laws and
should encourage their colleagues to
influence their practice through these laws.
As violations to these laws is not only an
ethical violation rather it can cause heavy
fine or even sentence to jail the one
violating it. It is one of the most important
issue faced in the field of SE where people
make illegal use of software systems
without concerning the copyright laws.
 Defective product
Software Engineers should not produce
any system that is defective. Before
approving the software product they
should perform a thorough testing of the
system to make sure that the system is
faultless and has a positive impact on its
users. As the consequences of a defective
system can be disastrous and can cause
great damage to health and environment.
 Bribery and improper means of finance
Software Engineers should refrain from
bribery and all sorts of improper means of
earning. They should not manipulate or
con their clients and employers to make
extra profit for their personal benefit rather
they should remain fair and honest. As
bribery is not only something unethical but
also illegal and the professional may have
to face serious consequences of this action.
 Protecting rights of clients and
employees
Software Engineers must implement and
support policies which protects the rights
of clients and employees. It is the
responsibility of every SE professional as
a leader or head of an organization to
guarantee professional and moral rights to
employees working under him along with
the clients who are taking some sort of
service from his organization.
 Injustice and discrimination
Software Engineers must adapt a just
approach and should avoid discrimination
on the basis of color, caste, creed or
gender. For example, SE professionals
must not trouble any one just because they
personally dislike him/her or they should
not prevent someone from pursuing
success in their work. They should treat
everyone equally and justly.
All the issues stated above can be overcome and
solved using the ethical protocols of code of ethics. It
can be clearly understood from the points presented
above that all ethical issues may not be violation to the
code of ethics but violation of code of ethics is an
ethical issue.
Ethical issues are considered more complex and
complicated to handle than technical issues. With the
increase in technology, the issues related to the field
are also increasing which involves all sorts of issues
including ethical issues too [25]. These issues cannot
be eliminated completely but can be reduced by
spreading awareness among the public and
professionals regarding the importance of ethics in SE
and by encouraging the SE professionals to follow and
promote the code of ethics.
5. CONCLUSION
The increasing importance of software systems has
made computer ethics a very crucial part in our lives.
The term computer ethics does not only refers to
technical ethics rather it refers to ethics related to the
behavior and professional practice of SE
professionals. Software Engineers must act in a
manner that enhances the reputation of their
profession, thus for this purpose the IEEE and ACM
joint task force produced a code of ethics which
defines a complete set of ethical protocols which a SE
professional is liable to follow and promote.
The aim of this paper is to enlighten the importance of
ethics in the field of SE and highlight the ethical issues
faced by professionals in their professional practice.
The paper does not only states the issues but also
explains why such issues occur and in what way they
can be taken down. The basic approach to be used to
overcome these issues is the use of ethical protocols
stated in the code of ethics. It then depends on the
personal and intuitive judgment of the SE professional
that how does he adapts to these ethical protocols
without violating them.
The overall impression of this paper is to encourage
the SE professionals to adapt an ethical approach in
their professional practice by following the ethical
protocols of the code of ethics.
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