IEEE Code of Ethics*

We, the members of the IEEE, in recognition of the importance of our technologies in affecting the quality of life throughout the world, and in accepting a personal obligation to our profession, its members and the communities we serve, do hereby commit ourselves to the highest ethical and professional conduct and agree:

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;

to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible, and to disclose them to affected parties when they do exist;

to be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on available data;

to reject bribery in all its forms;

to improve the understanding of technology, its appropriate application, and potential consequences;

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;

to seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical work, to acknowledge and correct errors, and to credit properly the contributionsof others;

to treat fairly all persons regardless of such factors as race, religion, gender, disability, age, or national origin;

to avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or employment by false or malicious action;

to assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional development and to support them in following this code of ethics.

* from: http://www.ieee.org/portal/pages/iportals/aboutus/ethics/code.html