Guidelines to Practice under the AIAA Code of Ethics

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1. Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public in the performance of their duties.
  1. Recognize that the lives, safety, health and welfare of the public are dependent upon professional judgments, decisions and practices.
  2. Seek opportunities to be of service in professional and civic affairs and work for the advancement of safety, health, and well-being of our communities.
  3. Report suspected violations of this element of the code to the proper authority and cooperate in furnishing further information and assistance as required.
2. Promote the lawful and ethical interests of AIAA and the aerospace profession.
  1. Comply with public law and regulation.
  2. Avoid the appearance of impropriety.
  3. Report to employers, clients, or government, as appropriate, any matters believed to represent a contravention of law, regulation, health, safety or ethical standards.
  4. Refrain from retaliating against those who make lawful reports about contraventions of law, regulation, health, or safety.
  5. Promote fair and unbiased opportunities for all.
  6. Charge fairly for services rendered and fulfill obligations as agreed – honoring contracts, agreements, and assigned responsibilities.
3. Reject bribery, fraud, and corruption in all their forms.
  1. Do not knowingly engage in business or professional practices of a fraudulent, dishonest, or unethical nature.
  2. Promote the lawful and ethical interests of the AIAA and aerospace profession.
4. Properly credit the contributions of others, accept and offer honest and constructive criticism of technical work; and acknowledge and correct errors.
  1. Take care that credit for professional work and accomplishments are given to those to whom credit is properly due.
  2. Accurately present and explain one’s work and its merit, and avoid any act that would promote personal interests at the expense of the integrity, honor, and dignity of the profession.
  3. Do not maliciously or indiscriminately criticize the work of another.
  4. Perform comprehensive and thorough evaluations of technical work, addressing potential impacts and including analysis of possible risks.
5. Avoid harming others, their property, their reputations or their employment through false or malicious statements or through unlawful or otherwise wrongful acts.
  1. Perform professional work with care, thoroughness and accuracy.
  2. Do not intentionally, recklessly, or repeatedly fail to perform services with competence.
  3. Respect the intellectual, financial, personal and real property interests of others.
6. Treat all persons with respect, fairness, and dignity, and never engage in any form of harassment or inappropriate discrimination.
  1. Never engage in any form of harassment, whether verbal, visual, or physical, including sexual harassment or bullying.
  2. Equally treat all persons with respect without regard to race, color, creed, gender, religion, age, national origin, citizenship status, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identify, gender expression, disability, or any other protected status.
7. Issue statements or present information in an objective and truthful manner, based on available data.
  1. Reject all forms of research or testing misconduct and report all misconduct including fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism when it is observed.
  2. Do not disseminate untrue, unsubstantiated, or exaggerated claims regarding technical matters.
  3. Be objective, truthful, and complete in professional statements, professional reports, or expert testimony.
  4. Express professional opinions only when founded on a background of technical competence.
  5. Safeguard AIAA’s reputation and integrity by ensuring that any public statements relating to AIAA which are not official statements of AIAA, are properly portrayed as the opinion of the individual making them.
8. Avoid real and perceived conflicts of interest, and act as honest and fair agents in all professional interactions.
  1. Inform employers, clients, or other professional associates of any relationships, interests, or circumstances that could influence, or could be perceived to influence, your judgment.
  2. Protect the interest of employers and/or partners by preserving confidential information.
  3. Do not disclose proprietary information concerning business affairs or technical processes of any present or former employer, client, or other professional associate without consent.
  4. Issue no statements, criticisms, arguments or professional opinions that are paid for by interested parties, unless it is indicated on whose behalf those statements are made.
  5. Ensure that technical contributions are not compromised or biased by a conflict of interest or other inappropriate influences.
  6. Do not accept compensation, financial or otherwise, from more that one party for the same service without the consent of interested parties.
9. Undertake only those technical tasks for which we are qualified by training or experience, or for which we can reasonably become qualified with proper preparation, education, and training.
  1. Engage and cooperate with specialists whenever the employer, client, or professional associate’s interests are best served by such an arrangement.
  2. Do not certify plans or documents dealing with subject matter outside our areas of expertise by virtue of education or experience.
  3. Do not falsify or permit misrepresentation of their academic or professional qualifications or experience.
10. Maintain and improve our technical and professional competencies throughout our careers and provide opportunities for the professional development of those engineers under our supervision.
  1. Keep current in our areas of specialty by engaging in professional practice, participating in continuing education courses, reading technical literature, and attending professional meetings and seminars.
  2. Promote the advancement of the aerospace profession by interchanging information and experience with other professionals and students, and by contributing to public communication media, and to the efforts of engineering and scientific societies and schools as appropriate.
  3. Approach the mentorship of students and young professionals as a matter of public trust, treating students fairly, respectfully, professionally, and without exploitation.
  4. Endeavor to extend the public knowledge of aerospace science and its achievements.
  5. Provide opportunities for the professional and ethical development of students and colleagues.
11. Treat fairly and respectfully all colleagues and co-workers, recognizing their unique contributions and capabilities.
  1. Protect the proprietary interests or confidences concerning the business affairs or technical processes of current and former employers and colleagues except where disclosure or reporting is required by law, or consent granted.
  2. Do not maliciously injure the professional reputation, prospects, or practice of another.
  3. Without personal bias or agenda, acknowledge and recognize the contributions of colleagues.
  4. Encourage colleagues to participate fully in the activities of AIAA.

AIAA gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the following technical societies to this revision of the Code of Ethics:

  • American Chemical Society
  • American Institute of Chemical Engineers
  • American National Standards Institute
  • American Society of Civil Engineers
  • American Society of Mechanical Engineers
  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers