21 September 2023

Code of Conduct

Social Software Living Lab (S2L2) – UNICAMP
Version: 2023-09-21

1. Purpose

This Code of Conduct defines ethical, inclusive, collaborative, and professional guidelines for undergraduate participants engaged in software development activities within the Social Software Living Lab (S2L2) at UNICAMP.

2. Scope

This code applies to all individuals involved in S2L2, including:

Undergraduate and graduate students;
Professors and academic advisors;
Interns, scholarship holders, and volunteers;
Mentors and external contributors.

3. Core Principles

Commitment to the public good: Projects should aim to create a positive social impact, especially in education, community engagement, and inclusion.
Academic and professional integrity: Plagiarism, unauthorized code reuse, misrepresentation, and fraud in submissions are strictly prohibited.
Respect and inclusion: A safe, welcoming, and respectful environment for all is fundamental.
Technical responsibility: Participants are expected to follow good software engineering practices and stay updated on relevant technologies.
Transparency and collaboration: Open communication, shared learning, and constructive peer feedback are key.
Ethical use of emerging technologies: Including declared and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence tools.

4. Expected Conduct

Actively participate in meetings, development sprints, code reviews, and project deliverables.
Communicate respectfully and clearly with team members, mentors, and faculty.
Collaborate with openness to feedback and a willingness to help others grow.
Use project data and lab resources responsibly and ethically.
Meet deadlines and notify the team in advance if delays are expected.

5. Unacceptable Conduct

Any form of harassment, discrimination, intimidation, or disrespectful behavior.
Plagiarizing or failing to acknowledge others’ work (including code or AI-generated content).
Mishandling sensitive data or violating project confidentiality.
Using AI-generated code or content without proper disclosure and critical review.
Intentionally hindering team progress or misrepresenting individual contributions.

6. Authorship and Use of Artificial Intelligence

AI tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT) may be used under the following conditions:
- Their use is clearly disclosed in project documentation or commit messages;
- The content is critically reviewed and understood by team members;
- Their use does not replace the learning or decision-making of human participants.
AI-generated content must not be presented as original student work.
External code or libraries must be properly cited in the README or comments.

7. Technical Best Practices

Use version control systems (e.g., Git) with meaningful and frequent commits.
Write clean, modular, documented, and tested code.
Follow agile development practices (e.g., Scrum, Kanban) when applicable.
Provide respectful and constructive code reviews.
Keep clear records of decisions and project changes.

8. Ethical Governance

S2L2 has an Internal Ethics and Conduct Committee, composed of:

One faculty coordinator;
One student representative elected by peers;
One external member (e.g., former participant or affiliated mentor).

This committee is responsible for:

Receiving and handling complaints confidentially;
Ensuring fair and respectful resolution processes;
Recommending corrective actions or disciplinary measures;
Referring cases to institutional authorities when needed (e.g., academic board, ombudsperson).

9. Disciplinary Measures

Violations of this Code may lead to:

Verbal or written warnings;
Temporary suspension or removal from the project;
Permanent dismissal from S2L2 and loss of related benefits (e.g., scholarships, certificates);
Escalation to university-level procedures, if applicable.

All cases will be investigated with transparency and respect for due process.

10. Final Provisions

This Code is subject to regular review by S2L2 leadership.
All participants must sign the Ethical Commitment Agreement before engaging in lab activities.
Suggestions or feedback can be submitted to the Ethics Committee at any time.

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