Nowadays software engineers not only have to worry about the technical knowledge needed to do their job, but they are increasingly having to know about the legal, professional and commercial context in which they must work. With the explosion of the Internet and major changes to the field with the introduction of the new Data Protection Act and the legal status of software engineers, it is now essential that they have an appreciation of a wide variety of issues outside the technical. Equally valuable to both students and practitioners, it brings together the expertise and experience of leading academics in software engineering, law, industrial relations, and health and safety, explaining the central principles and issues in each field and shows how they apply to software engineering.

Nowadays software engineers not only have to worry about the technical knowledge needed to do their job, but they are increasingly having to know about the legal, professional and commercial context in which they must work. With the explosion of the Internet and major changes to the field with the introduction of the new Data Protection Act and the legal status of software engineers, it is now essential that they have an appreciation of a wide variety of issues outside the technical.
Equally valuable to both students and practitioners, it brings together the expertise and experience of leading academics in software engineering, law, industrial relations, and health and safety, explaining the central principles and issues in each field and shows how they apply to software engineering.
Key Features:
* new and updated edition of a highly successful textbook for students and professional software engineers
* most other books on the subject look at specific languages in software engineering - this looks at specific issues in the context of software engineering
* covers the major changes that have occurred in recent years in the field
Professional Issues in Software Engineering covers all the key issues that students and professionals should have to think about. These include:
* commercial and financial frameworks
* the effect of new technology on employment
* the safety and reliability of computer systems
* health and safety in the workplace
* intellectual property rights in software
* computer contracts
* computer misuse

Relevant to all sizes of organisation, this book addresses the social, legal, financial, organisational and ethical issues faced by IT professionals, in alignment with the BCS HEQ 'Diploma in IT' core module: Professional Issues in Information Systems Practice. This new edition takes into account the social and legal implications of the changes to legislation and technology over recent years, including the GDPR and Data Protection Act, with comprehensive updates across the book in line with the latest syllabus.