What is required before an ASET registrant expresses a professional opinion?

Under the ASET Code of Ethics, members are required to express professional opinions only when they are founded upon adequate knowledge and honest conviction. This ensures that any technical advice, assessment, or testimony provided to clients, employers, or the public is reliable, objective, and professionally sound. Expressing an opinion without sufficient data, expertise, or genuine belief in its accuracy misleads stakeholders and damages the integrity of the profession.

A. Professional opinions require individual competence and conviction, not unanimous consensus or approval from coworkers.

C. Disagreement is common and expected in technical fields; a guarantee of absolute consensus is impossible and unnecessary.

D. Having a personal financial interest creates a conflict of interest, which undermines the objectivity and validity of the professional opinion.

- Association of Science and Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta (ASET) Code of Ethics, Principle 3: "Provide an opinion on a professional subject only when it is founded upon adequate knowledge and honest conviction."

- Howell, W. E. (2015). Ethics and Law for the Technology Professional. (Section on Professional Communication and Testimony).