[noarchy]

>This is true, and the unfortunate effect of treating all software engineers as equal. However, if PhDs are not expected to write code, don't call them software engineers, call them "researchers".

Generally, they aren't called "engineers". They'd be computer scientists. But I say that as someone who lives in a place (Canada) where "engineer" is a protected term, of sorts. You can't just slap the title on anyone.

[duaneb]

Fair, but not relevant—all the alternate titles (programmer, coder, computer "scientist" without the science... whatever) would also be just as ill-fitting.