Reducing Software Failures: addressing the ethical risks of the software development lifecycle

Abstract

A narrow approach to risk analysis and understanding the scope of a software project has contributed to significant software failures. A novel process is presented which expands the concept of software risk to include social, professional, and ethical risks that lead to software failure. Using an expanded risk analysis will enlarge the project scope considered by software developers. This process also is incorporated into a software development life cycle. This paper was reprinted in Readings in CyberEthics, Second Edition (2004) edited by Spinello and Tavani.