Evolution of secondary studies in software engineering
| Title | Evolution of secondary studies in software engineering |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | David Budgen & Pearl Brereton |
| Details | Short Communication: 2022 |
| Abstract | Context: Other disciplines commonly employ secondary studies to address the needs of practitioners and policy-makers. Since being adopted by software engineering in 2004, many have been undertaken by researchers. Objective: To assess how the role of secondary studies in software engineering has evolved. Method: We examined a sample of 131 secondary studies published in a set of five major software engineering journals for the years 2010, 2015 and 2020. These were categorised by their {\em type} (e.g. mapping study), their research focus (quantitative/qualitative and practice/methodological), as well as the experience of the first authors. Results: Secondary studies are now a well-established research tool. They are predominantly qualitative and there is extensive use of mapping studies to profile research in particular areas. A significant number are clearly produced as part of postgraduate study, although experienced researchers also conduct many secondary studies. They are sometimes also used as part of a multi-method study. Conclusions: Existing guidelines largely focus upon quantitative systematic reviews. Based on our findings, we suggest that more guidance is needed on how to conduct, analyse, and report qualitative secondary studies. |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2022.106840 |
| BibTex | |
| Topics | Secondary Study, Software Engineering |