¶ … engineering ethics websites were reviewed: the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Code of Ethics (IEEE), the American Council of Engineering Companies Ethical Guidelines, and the Institution of Engineers Australia Code of Ethics. All three websites cover a wide assortment of ethical issues including conflicts of interest, unfair and dishonest appraisal of projects, incompetent performance, and improper solicitation of work, among others. Of the three, the IEEE website contains very little information regarding its ethics code, while both the American Council and Australia websites go into specific details about their general ethical principles. The IEEE, which approved its code in August 1990, lists ten general principles that comprise its overall ethics code; these principles are briefly stated and discuss about a variety of far-reaching matters, ranging from IEEE's commitment to the safety, health, and welfare of the public, to its providing support towards co-workers and colleagues in their professional development. Its unique aspect is that unlike the other codes reviewed, this one explicitly mentions...

Other than listing these principles, IEEE seems to make no further attempt at providing specific guidelines towards implementing them.
The American Council of Engineering Companies ethics code, which was adopted in October 1980, initially lists five general principles, which are known as fundamental canons, within it. It then goes on to provide specific details regarding these canons; the details provided are known as rules of practice and discuss about the ways one can implement these canons. So for example, under the canon stating that members must ensure the public's safety, health, and welfare, the code states that as a rule of practice, if engineers feel that their concerns about the potential dangers to the public's well-being is not being taken into consideration, they must immediately notify the proper authorities about the matter.

Though its fundamental canons are generally similar in principle to those found in other organizational ethics codes, the council's rules of practice are often unique and varied. So for example, under its canon stating that consulting…