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Keith W Miller

University of Missouri - St. Louis, Education, Faculty Member

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Orthwein Endowed Professor for Lifelong Learning in the Sciences. I write about computer ethics, technology and society, software testing, and online learning. I teach computer science and in the College of Education, all at the University of Missouri - St. Louis.

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Papers by Keith W Miller

$Research paper thumbnail of Special Issue on Ethics 2014\/ISTAS 2014 [Guest Editorial]$

Special Issue on Ethics 2014\/ISTAS 2014 [Guest Editorial]

IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, Jun 1, 2015

IPLIB(Image processing library) user's manual

IPLIB is a collection of HP FORTRAN 77 subroutines and functions that facilitate the use of a COM... more IPLIB is a collection of HP FORTRAN 77 subroutines and functions that facilitate the use of a COMTAL image processing system driven by an HP-1000 computer. It is intended for programmers who want to use the HP 1000 to drive the COMTAL Vision One/20 system. It is assumed that the programmer knows HP 1000 FORTRAN 77 or at least one FORTRAN dialect. It is also assumed that the programmer has some familiarity with the COMTAL Vision One/20 system. (Author)

Virtual Harms and Real Responsibility

IGI Global eBooks, Jan 18, 2011

Ethics and Information Technologies: History and Themes of a Research Field

by Mariarosaria Taddeo and Keith W Miller

Introduction to “The Ethics of Information Technologies”, Ashgate Publishing

Draft software engineering code of ethics, version 2.1

ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Notes, 1997

Software Engineering Code Of Ethics, Version 3.0

Computer, 1997

Х.й Software Engineering Code of Ethics, Version 3.0 Don Gotterbarn, Keith Miller, and Simon Roge... more

Software engineering code of ethics and professional practice

Science and Engineering Ethics, 2001

Software Test Automation

Advances in Software Engineering, 2010

Confidently Assessing a Zero Probability of Software Failure

SAFECOMP ’93, 1993

Randomly generated software tests are an established method of estimating software reliability [5... more Randomly generated software tests are an established method of estimating software reliability [5, 7]. But as software applications require higher and higher reliabilities, practical difficulties with random testing have become increasingly problematic. These practical problems are particularly acute in life-critical applications, where requirements of 10-7 failures per hour of system reliability translate into a probability of failure (pof) of perhaps 10-9 or less for each individual execution of the software [4]. We refer to software with reliability requirements of this magnitude as ultra-reliable software. This paper presents a method for assessing the confidence that the software does not contain any faults given that software testing and software testability analysis have been performed. In this method, it is assumed that software testing of the current version has not resulted in any failures, and that software testing has not been exhaustive. In previous publications, we have termed this method of combining testability and testing to assess a confidence in correctness as the "Squeeze Play" and "Reliability Amplification," [15, 13} however, we have not formally developed the mathematical foundation for quantifying a confidence that the software is correct. We do so in this paper.

Ethical Considerations

Handbook on Information Technologies for Education and Training, 2002

T he consideration of ethics in research, and in general business for that matter, is of growing ... more T he consideration of ethics in research, and in general business for that matter, is of growing importance. It is, therefore, critical that you understand the basics of ethical research and how this might affect your research project. This is especially important if your research involves interaction with businesses or members of the general community who serve as participants (i.e., respondents) in your research. There are a range of interactions in your research that might occur, including in-depth interviews, focus groups, surveys, or even observing people's behavior. Though all researchers (student, professional, or academic) are well intentioned, there is the possibility that interaction with participants may inadvertently harm them in some unintended way. This could include • Psychological harm-for example, researching the use of nudity in advertising may show participants images that offend them. • Financial harm-researching unethical behavior within a given firm may provide management with information on individual employees that results in an individual getting fired, or undertaking industrybased research may inadvertently share sensitive information with a firm's competitors, resulting in financial harm to the organization. • Social harm-researching how lifestyle affects consumption may unintentionally disclose a person's sexual orientation when that person wanted to keep this confidential. It is your responsibility to consider whether any type of harm could occur when you plan your research and to ensure that mechanisms are instituted to remove it. It is, therefore, essential that you carefully evaluate the potential for harm to arise and ensure that you (a) behave according to appropriate ethical standards; (b) consider how your research might negatively affect participants; and (c) protect yourself, your supervisors/teachers, and your institution from being placed in situations in which individuals could make claims of inappropriate behavior, resulting in public criticism or even your being sued. Unfortunately, there is an increasing amount of litigation in the world and many universities have processes in place for vetting research to ensure that it is 53 5

Ethical Reflections on Handling Digital Remains: Computing Professionals Picking Up Bones

Digital Society

We approach the subject of digital remains, understood as "online content of dead users," from th... more We approach the subject of digital remains, understood as "online content of dead users," from the perspective of computing professionals. Many scholars have argued for special ethical status of digital remains similar to the respect given to physical human remains. We propose a series of definitions including that of digital remains. These definitions emphasize the practical realities of managing computing systems. We posit that ideas of personhood and respect are both important when considering digital remains, but there are other concerns that challenge their special ethical status. We present three scenarios that illustrate important differences in how digital remains should be dealt with in different contexts. We conclude that due to environmental concerns, as well as practical and privacy considerations, absent any other overriding considerations, digital remains ought to be deleted. We also suggest that our notion of "abandoned digital artifacts" might provide a better conception of digital remains and be helpful in articulating accounts of personhood and personal identity.

Teaching computer ethics using the World Wide Web

FIE'99 Frontiers in Education. 29th Annual Frontiers in Education Conference. Designing the Future of Science and Engineering Education. Conference Proceedings (IEEE Cat. No.99CH37011

A software analysis technique for quantifying reliability in high-risk medical devices

[1993] Computer-Based Medical Systems-Proceedings of the Sixth Annual IEEE Symposium

Embedded microprocessors are b ecoming increasingly important in medical treatments. These device... more Embedded microprocessors are b ecoming increasingly important in medical treatments. These devices are embedded i n C A T s c anners, radiation therapy devices, MRIs, and are used in the control of drug production. Embedded systems are b ecoming more sophisticated, and the programs that control these system have increasing demands for precision and reliability. Recently, the FDA has been under increased p r essure by Congress to end the paralysis within the agency in granting pre-market approval to the so-called high-risk" devices. Complaints have been aimed at the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, which has become reluctant to approve devices. This fear, it is claimed, is due to several past controversies including the silicone-breast implants and the P zer Inc. heart valve. As evidence that there r eally is a slowdown in approval, in scal 1986, 72 approvals were g r anted, in scal 1991, 27 approvals were g r anted, and in scal 1992, only 12 premarket high-risk approvals were g r anted 1. In this paper, we will brie y present a software engineering technique called sensitivity analysis that aims at producing software that is less likely to hide faults. When sensitivity analysis indicates that faults are not likely to hide from testing, we can more c omfortably rely on the results of testing. Sensitivity analysis has been automated, and preliminary results from the automated analysis suggest that the technique will have signi cant advantages for the development, validation, and regulation of medical devices.

Virtual harms and virtual responsibility: a rape in cyberspace

IEEE 2002 International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS'02). Social Implications of Information and Communication Technology. Proceedings (Cat. No.02CH37293)

Julian Dibbell [4] reported a "rape in cyberspace" in 1993. In this paper we use the case to erpl... more

A Comparison Of A Dynamic SoftwareTestability Metric To Static CyclomaticComplexity

WIT Transactions on Information and Communication Technologies, 1970

This paper compares the dynamic testability prediction technique termed "sensitivity analysi... more This paper compares the dynamic testability prediction technique termed "sensitivity analysis" to the static testability technique termed cyclomatic complexity. The application that we chose in this empirical study is a CASE generated version of a B-737 autoland and yawdamp systems. For the B-737 systems we analyzed, we isolated those functions that we predict are more prone to hide errors during system/reliability testing. We also analyzed the code with several other well-known static metrics. This paper compares and contrasts the results of sensitivity analysis to the results of the static metrics.

Information systems ethics – challenges and opportunities

Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, 2017

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the ethical issues surrounding information system... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the ethical issues surrounding information systems (IS) practice with a view to encouraging greater involvement in this aspect of IS research. Information integrity relies upon the development and operation of computer-based information systems. Those who undertake the planning, development and operation of these information systems have obligations to assure information integrity and overall to contribute to the public good. This ethical dimension of information systems has attracted mixed attention in the IS academic discipline. Design/methodology/approach The authors are a multidisciplinary team providing a rich, diverse experience which includes professional and information ethics, management information systems, software engineering, data repositories and information systems development. Each author has used this experience to review the IS ethics landscape, which provides four complimentary perspectives. These are synthesised to ...

Computer security and human values interact

Frontiers in Education Conference, Nov 5, 1997

Computer security is technically challenging; it is also an area with ethical, legal, and sociolo... more Computer security is technically challenging; it is also an area with ethical, legal, and sociological implications. When we teach computer security (as well as other technical content), we should provoke students to think about the human values involved in making technical decisions. This paper develops teaching ideas for two issues in computer security: WWW cookies and public access to government databases.

An Ethical Analysis of Automation, Risk, and the Financial Crises of 2008

IT Professional, 2009

The unprecedented financial market volatility of 2008 has profound implications. While there is p... more The unprecedented financial market volatility of 2008 has profound implications. While there is plenty of 'blame' to be shared, some key elements of the instability are relatively straightforward to identify. We contend that a fundamental, underlying cause is the cavalier approach taken to applied risk management, an approach that was only possible because of the use (and some would say abuse) of automation. This paper examines ethical issues associated with general behaviors leading to the market volatility of 2008. It then isolates some related ethical factors that can be singularly attributed to automation. While the effects of market automation cannot be realistically blamed for the overall market situation, automation certainly contributed to, and still contributes to market uncertainty. Some of this uncertainty is due not merely to automation, but to decisions made as risk management was automated. These findings are reinforced by research work employing Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA). The LSA results inform our analysis of the impact of questionable ethical behavior in the 2008 financial crisis, and suggest that closer attention to the ethics of financial automation will help achieve eventual market stability and prosperity.

Workshop - Integrating professional issues into the technical curriculum: Teaching students about the challenge of professionalism and ethics in an increasingly automated world living with sophisticated machines

2014 IEEE International Symposium on Ethics in Science, Technology and Engineering, 2014

In support of ACM's and the IEEE's commitment to professionalism, the ACM Committee on Pr... more In support of ACM's and the IEEE's commitment to professionalism, the ACM Committee on Professional Ethics, a technical co-sponsor of this conference, is presenting a workshop designed to help faculty provide students with tools to better understand and to better resolve their ethical challenges as professionals. This workshop will have a special focus on issues raised by robots, Google Glass, and other increasingly sophisticated devices. The workshop will use both lecture and small group activities to introduce and enhance participants' teaching skills in computer and engineering ethics. Leaders will present materials to be used in a complete professional ethics course, and that can also be integrated as examples and exercises into specific technical courses. The materials will include case studies, suggested course syllabi, and suggestions for creating and grading assignments. The workshop will feature demonstrations of several advanced devices, and how they can be used to teach about ethics, and to attract attention to ethical issues.

Information Integrity and IT Professionals' Integrity, Intertwined

IT Professional, 2008

$Research paper thumbnail of Special Issue on Ethics 2014\/ISTAS 2014 [Guest Editorial]$

Special Issue on Ethics 2014\/ISTAS 2014 [Guest Editorial]

IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, Jun 1, 2015

IPLIB(Image processing library) user's manual

IPLIB is a collection of HP FORTRAN 77 subroutines and functions that facilitate the use of a COM... more IPLIB is a collection of HP FORTRAN 77 subroutines and functions that facilitate the use of a COMTAL image processing system driven by an HP-1000 computer. It is intended for programmers who want to use the HP 1000 to drive the COMTAL Vision One/20 system. It is assumed that the programmer knows HP 1000 FORTRAN 77 or at least one FORTRAN dialect. It is also assumed that the programmer has some familiarity with the COMTAL Vision One/20 system. (Author)

Virtual Harms and Real Responsibility

IGI Global eBooks, Jan 18, 2011

Ethics and Information Technologies: History and Themes of a Research Field

by Mariarosaria Taddeo and Keith W Miller

Introduction to “The Ethics of Information Technologies”, Ashgate Publishing

Draft software engineering code of ethics, version 2.1

ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Notes, 1997

Software Engineering Code Of Ethics, Version 3.0

Computer, 1997

Х.й Software Engineering Code of Ethics, Version 3.0 Don Gotterbarn, Keith Miller, and Simon Roge... more

Software engineering code of ethics and professional practice

Science and Engineering Ethics, 2001

Software Test Automation

Advances in Software Engineering, 2010

Confidently Assessing a Zero Probability of Software Failure

SAFECOMP ’93, 1993

Randomly generated software tests are an established method of estimating software reliability [5... more Randomly generated software tests are an established method of estimating software reliability [5, 7]. But as software applications require higher and higher reliabilities, practical difficulties with random testing have become increasingly problematic. These practical problems are particularly acute in life-critical applications, where requirements of 10-7 failures per hour of system reliability translate into a probability of failure (pof) of perhaps 10-9 or less for each individual execution of the software [4]. We refer to software with reliability requirements of this magnitude as ultra-reliable software. This paper presents a method for assessing the confidence that the software does not contain any faults given that software testing and software testability analysis have been performed. In this method, it is assumed that software testing of the current version has not resulted in any failures, and that software testing has not been exhaustive. In previous publications, we have termed this method of combining testability and testing to assess a confidence in correctness as the "Squeeze Play" and "Reliability Amplification," [15, 13} however, we have not formally developed the mathematical foundation for quantifying a confidence that the software is correct. We do so in this paper.

Ethical Considerations

Handbook on Information Technologies for Education and Training, 2002

T he consideration of ethics in research, and in general business for that matter, is of growing ... more T he consideration of ethics in research, and in general business for that matter, is of growing importance. It is, therefore, critical that you understand the basics of ethical research and how this might affect your research project. This is especially important if your research involves interaction with businesses or members of the general community who serve as participants (i.e., respondents) in your research. There are a range of interactions in your research that might occur, including in-depth interviews, focus groups, surveys, or even observing people's behavior. Though all researchers (student, professional, or academic) are well intentioned, there is the possibility that interaction with participants may inadvertently harm them in some unintended way. This could include • Psychological harm-for example, researching the use of nudity in advertising may show participants images that offend them. • Financial harm-researching unethical behavior within a given firm may provide management with information on individual employees that results in an individual getting fired, or undertaking industrybased research may inadvertently share sensitive information with a firm's competitors, resulting in financial harm to the organization. • Social harm-researching how lifestyle affects consumption may unintentionally disclose a person's sexual orientation when that person wanted to keep this confidential. It is your responsibility to consider whether any type of harm could occur when you plan your research and to ensure that mechanisms are instituted to remove it. It is, therefore, essential that you carefully evaluate the potential for harm to arise and ensure that you (a) behave according to appropriate ethical standards; (b) consider how your research might negatively affect participants; and (c) protect yourself, your supervisors/teachers, and your institution from being placed in situations in which individuals could make claims of inappropriate behavior, resulting in public criticism or even your being sued. Unfortunately, there is an increasing amount of litigation in the world and many universities have processes in place for vetting research to ensure that it is 53 5

Ethical Reflections on Handling Digital Remains: Computing Professionals Picking Up Bones

Digital Society

We approach the subject of digital remains, understood as "online content of dead users," from th... more We approach the subject of digital remains, understood as "online content of dead users," from the perspective of computing professionals. Many scholars have argued for special ethical status of digital remains similar to the respect given to physical human remains. We propose a series of definitions including that of digital remains. These definitions emphasize the practical realities of managing computing systems. We posit that ideas of personhood and respect are both important when considering digital remains, but there are other concerns that challenge their special ethical status. We present three scenarios that illustrate important differences in how digital remains should be dealt with in different contexts. We conclude that due to environmental concerns, as well as practical and privacy considerations, absent any other overriding considerations, digital remains ought to be deleted. We also suggest that our notion of "abandoned digital artifacts" might provide a better conception of digital remains and be helpful in articulating accounts of personhood and personal identity.

Teaching computer ethics using the World Wide Web

FIE'99 Frontiers in Education. 29th Annual Frontiers in Education Conference. Designing the Future of Science and Engineering Education. Conference Proceedings (IEEE Cat. No.99CH37011

A software analysis technique for quantifying reliability in high-risk medical devices

[1993] Computer-Based Medical Systems-Proceedings of the Sixth Annual IEEE Symposium

Embedded microprocessors are b ecoming increasingly important in medical treatments. These device... more Embedded microprocessors are b ecoming increasingly important in medical treatments. These devices are embedded i n C A T s c anners, radiation therapy devices, MRIs, and are used in the control of drug production. Embedded systems are b ecoming more sophisticated, and the programs that control these system have increasing demands for precision and reliability. Recently, the FDA has been under increased p r essure by Congress to end the paralysis within the agency in granting pre-market approval to the so-called high-risk" devices. Complaints have been aimed at the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, which has become reluctant to approve devices. This fear, it is claimed, is due to several past controversies including the silicone-breast implants and the P zer Inc. heart valve. As evidence that there r eally is a slowdown in approval, in scal 1986, 72 approvals were g r anted, in scal 1991, 27 approvals were g r anted, and in scal 1992, only 12 premarket high-risk approvals were g r anted 1. In this paper, we will brie y present a software engineering technique called sensitivity analysis that aims at producing software that is less likely to hide faults. When sensitivity analysis indicates that faults are not likely to hide from testing, we can more c omfortably rely on the results of testing. Sensitivity analysis has been automated, and preliminary results from the automated analysis suggest that the technique will have signi cant advantages for the development, validation, and regulation of medical devices.

Virtual harms and virtual responsibility: a rape in cyberspace

IEEE 2002 International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS'02). Social Implications of Information and Communication Technology. Proceedings (Cat. No.02CH37293)

Julian Dibbell [4] reported a "rape in cyberspace" in 1993. In this paper we use the case to erpl... more

A Comparison Of A Dynamic SoftwareTestability Metric To Static CyclomaticComplexity

WIT Transactions on Information and Communication Technologies, 1970

This paper compares the dynamic testability prediction technique termed "sensitivity analysi... more This paper compares the dynamic testability prediction technique termed "sensitivity analysis" to the static testability technique termed cyclomatic complexity. The application that we chose in this empirical study is a CASE generated version of a B-737 autoland and yawdamp systems. For the B-737 systems we analyzed, we isolated those functions that we predict are more prone to hide errors during system/reliability testing. We also analyzed the code with several other well-known static metrics. This paper compares and contrasts the results of sensitivity analysis to the results of the static metrics.

Information systems ethics – challenges and opportunities

Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, 2017

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the ethical issues surrounding information system... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the ethical issues surrounding information systems (IS) practice with a view to encouraging greater involvement in this aspect of IS research. Information integrity relies upon the development and operation of computer-based information systems. Those who undertake the planning, development and operation of these information systems have obligations to assure information integrity and overall to contribute to the public good. This ethical dimension of information systems has attracted mixed attention in the IS academic discipline. Design/methodology/approach The authors are a multidisciplinary team providing a rich, diverse experience which includes professional and information ethics, management information systems, software engineering, data repositories and information systems development. Each author has used this experience to review the IS ethics landscape, which provides four complimentary perspectives. These are synthesised to ...

Computer security and human values interact

Frontiers in Education Conference, Nov 5, 1997

Computer security is technically challenging; it is also an area with ethical, legal, and sociolo... more Computer security is technically challenging; it is also an area with ethical, legal, and sociological implications. When we teach computer security (as well as other technical content), we should provoke students to think about the human values involved in making technical decisions. This paper develops teaching ideas for two issues in computer security: WWW cookies and public access to government databases.

An Ethical Analysis of Automation, Risk, and the Financial Crises of 2008

IT Professional, 2009

The unprecedented financial market volatility of 2008 has profound implications. While there is p... more The unprecedented financial market volatility of 2008 has profound implications. While there is plenty of 'blame' to be shared, some key elements of the instability are relatively straightforward to identify. We contend that a fundamental, underlying cause is the cavalier approach taken to applied risk management, an approach that was only possible because of the use (and some would say abuse) of automation. This paper examines ethical issues associated with general behaviors leading to the market volatility of 2008. It then isolates some related ethical factors that can be singularly attributed to automation. While the effects of market automation cannot be realistically blamed for the overall market situation, automation certainly contributed to, and still contributes to market uncertainty. Some of this uncertainty is due not merely to automation, but to decisions made as risk management was automated. These findings are reinforced by research work employing Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA). The LSA results inform our analysis of the impact of questionable ethical behavior in the 2008 financial crisis, and suggest that closer attention to the ethics of financial automation will help achieve eventual market stability and prosperity.

Workshop - Integrating professional issues into the technical curriculum: Teaching students about the challenge of professionalism and ethics in an increasingly automated world living with sophisticated machines

2014 IEEE International Symposium on Ethics in Science, Technology and Engineering, 2014

In support of ACM's and the IEEE's commitment to professionalism, the ACM Committee on Pr... more In support of ACM's and the IEEE's commitment to professionalism, the ACM Committee on Professional Ethics, a technical co-sponsor of this conference, is presenting a workshop designed to help faculty provide students with tools to better understand and to better resolve their ethical challenges as professionals. This workshop will have a special focus on issues raised by robots, Google Glass, and other increasingly sophisticated devices. The workshop will use both lecture and small group activities to introduce and enhance participants' teaching skills in computer and engineering ethics. Leaders will present materials to be used in a complete professional ethics course, and that can also be integrated as examples and exercises into specific technical courses. The materials will include case studies, suggested course syllabi, and suggestions for creating and grading assignments. The workshop will feature demonstrations of several advanced devices, and how they can be used to teach about ethics, and to attract attention to ethical issues.

Information Integrity and IT Professionals' Integrity, Intertwined

IT Professional, 2008