Preliminary Reporting Guidelines for Experience Papers

Abstract

Context: When undertaking a systematic literature review or a mapping study software engineering, it is likely that only a small set of experimental studies will be available. In conducting a mapping study on the theme of software design patterns, we found only 11 papers describing experiments that studied the use of patterns.

Objectives: To investigate whether we could obtain further evidence by examining the experiences offered in papers that were essentially observational in nature. To use this experience to suggest how such studies can best be reported.

Method: We identified suitable studies from those identified in our systematic search and undertook data extraction from them. We then analysed those that were of most use, to identify what characteristics made their reporting useful.

Results: We found 18 experience papers, but after analysis, this set was reduced to four. Only one of these provided a clear link between practical experiences and the lessons they reported. Our preliminary reporting guidelines are based upon both good and poor papers, as well as the guidelines proposed for other forms of empirical study.

Conclusions: We draw upng guidelines for experience papers.

Contributors

David Budgen

Cheng Zhang

Conference

Publication date: April 2009

Publication date (Print): April 2009

Pages: 1-10

Affiliations

Department of Computer Science

Durham University, U.K.

Article

DOI: 10.14236/ewic/EASE2009.8

Copyright statement: © David Budgen et al. Published by BCS Learning and Development Ltd. 13th International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering (EASE), Durham University, UK

License:

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Conference name: 13th International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering (EASE)

Conference acronym: EASE

Conference number: 13

Conference location: Durham University, UK

Conference date: 20 - 21 April 2009

Conference sponsor: Electronic Workshops in Computing (eWiC)

Conference theme: Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering (EASE)

Product

Product Information: 1477-9358BCS Learning & Development

Self URI (article page): https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.14236/ewic/EASE2009.8

Self URI (journal page): https://ewic.bcs.org/

Categories

Series title: Electronic Workshops in Computing