Code of Ethics
(Article III of AIPG Bylaws, December 30, 1984)
Section 1 - General Principles
1. When the geological sciences are practiced as a profession, the privilege
of practice requires professional ethical conduct and professional responsibility,
as well as scientific knowledge on the part of the practitioner.
2. Each Member of the Institute shall be guided by the highest standards
of business ethics, personal honor, and professional conduct.
3. Honesty, integrity, loyalty, fairness, impartiality, candor, fidelity
to trust, inviolability of confidence, and honorable conduct are incumbent
upon every Member, not for submissive observation, but as a set of dynamic
principles to guide a way of life.
Section 2 - Relations of Members to the Public
1. A Member shall avoid and discourage sensational, exaggerated and unwarranted
statements that might induce participation in unsound enterprises.
2. A Member shall not knowingly permit the publication of his or her reports,
maps or other documents for any unsound or illegitimate undertaking.
3. A Member having or expecting to have beneficial interest in a property
on which the Member reports must state in the report the fact of existence
of such interest or expected interest.
4. A Member shall not give a professional opinion or submit a report without
being as thoroughly informed as might be reasonably expected, considering
the purpose for which the opinion or report is requested.
5. A Member shall not engage in false or deceptive advertising, or make
false, misleading or deceptive representations or claims in regard to
the profession of geology or in regard to others in the practice of the
profession of geology, or which concern his or her own professional qualifications
or abilities.
6. A Member shall not issue a false statement or false information even
though directed to do so by an employer or client.
Section 3 - Relations of Members to Employer and Client
1. A Member shall protect, to the fullest possible extent, the interest
of an employer or client so far as is consistent with the public safety
and the Member's professional obligations and ethics.
2. A Member who finds that obligations to an employer or client conflict
with professional standards or ethics should have such objectionable conditions
corrected or resign.
3. A Member shall offer to disclose to a prospective employer or client
the existence of any owned or controlled mineral or other interest which
may either directly or indirectly, have a pertinent bearing on such employment.
4. A Member shall not use, directly or indirectly, any employer's or client's
information in any way which is competitive, adverse, or detrimental to
the interests of employer or client.
5. A Member retained by one client shall not accept, without client's
written consent, an engagement by another if the interests of the two
are in any manner conflicting.
6. A Member who had made an investigation for an employer or client shall
not seek to profit economically from the information gained, unless written
permission to do so is granted, or until it is clear that there can no
longer be a conflict of interest with the original employer or client.
7. A Member shall not divulge information given in confidence.
8. A Member shall engage, or advise an employer or client to engage, and
cooperate with, other experts and specialists whenever the employer's
or client's interest would be best served by such service.
9. A Member shall not accept referral fees from another to whom a person
is referred; however, nothing herein shall prohibit a member from being
compensated for consultation, or for the recommending of another qualified
to perform the service(s) anticipated necessary for the client.
10. A Member shall make an effort to issue professional advice primarily
within the Member's expertise. An employer or client shall be notified
if any professional advice outside of the Member's expertise is issued.
Section 4 - Relations of Members to Each Other
1. A Member shall not falsely or maliciously attempt to injure the reputation
or business of another.
2. A Member shall give credit for work done by others to whom credit is
due and shall refrain from plagiarism in oral and written communications,
and not knowingly accept credit due another.
3. A Member who is an employee shall not use his or her employer's resources
for private gain without the prior knowledge and consent of his or her
employer.
4. A Member shall endeavor to cooperate with others in the profession
and encourage the ethical dissemination of geological knowledge.
Section 5 - Duty to the Institute
1. Every Member of the Institute shall actively seek to prevent the election
to membership of those who lack moral character, who have not followed
these standards of ethics, or who do not have the required education and
experience.
2. It shall be the duty and professional responsibility of every Member
not only to uphold these standards of ethics by precept and example but
also, where necessary, to encourage by counsel and advice to other Members,
their adherence to such standards.
3. It shall be the obligation of any Member having positive knowledge
of a departure from these standards by another Member, to bring substantiated
evidence of such departure to the attention of the Institute so that it
can inform the Member of the problem and suggest compliance with these
written standards.
4. By applying for or continuing membership in the Institute# every Member
agrees to uphold the ethical standards set out in this Code of Ethics.
