Empirical software engineering (ESE)
is a subfield of
software engineering
Software engineering is a systematic engineering approach to software development.
A software engineer is a person who applies the principles of software engineering to design, develop, maintain, test, and evaluate computer software. The term ' ...
(SE) research that uses
empirical research
Empirical research is research using empirical evidence. It is also a way of gaining knowledge by means of direct and indirect observation or experience. Empiricism values some research more than other kinds. Empirical evidence (the record of on ...
methods to study and evaluate an SE phenomenon of interest. The phenomenon may refer to software development tools/technology, practices, processes, policies, or other human and organizational aspects.
ESE has roots in
experimental software engineering, but as the field has matured the need and acceptance for both quantitative and qualitative research has grown. Today, common research methods used in ESE for primary and secondary research are the following:
*Primary research (
experimentation
An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs whe ...
,
case study
A case study is an in-depth, detailed examination of a particular case (or cases) within a real-world context. For example, case studies in medicine may focus on an individual patient or ailment; case studies in business
Business is the pract ...
research,
survey research,
simulation
A simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. Simulations require the use of models; the model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected system or process, whereas the ...
s in particular
software Process simulation)
*Secondary research methods (
Systematic reviews
A systematic review is a scholarly synthesis of the evidence on a clearly presented topic using critical methods to identify, define and assess research on the topic. A systematic review extracts and interprets data from published studies on t ...
, Systematic mapping studies,
rapid reviews,
tertiary review)
Teaching empirical software engineering
Some comprehensive books
for students, professionals and researchers interested in ESE are available.
Research community
Journals, conferences, and communities devoted specifically to ESE:
Empirical Software Engineering: An International JournalInternational Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and MeasurementInternational Software Engineering Research Network (ISERN)
References
{{Reflist
Software engineering