Which of the following statements about a licensed professional’s use of unfamiliar commercial software for...

Professional responsibility requires that engineers/geoscientists apply due diligence and competent judgment when using analytical tools, including commercial software. They must ensure legal/authorized use (A), validate outputs through reasonableness checks, test cases, or independent calculations (B), and confirm the tool is appropriate for the problem with correct inputs, assumptions, and limitations understood (D). Relying solely on “widespread industry usage” (C) is not sufficient and is the false statement. Popularity does not guarantee correctness for a specific application, version, configuration, or input range, and software can be misapplied or produce misleading results if used beyond its intended scope. NPPE themes emphasize that responsibility for the work product remains with the professional, not the software vendor or common practice. The professional must understand the methodology, verify results, and document key assumptions—especially when the software is unfamiliar or the consequences of error are significant. Therefore, C is false.