Early Explorations and Emerging Skepticism (2007)
The earliest titles from 2007 suggest a nascent stage of inquiry, marked by a critical, almost skeptical, view towards established norms and a foundational exploration of specific practices. The title "Who Needs Evidence, Anyway?" provocatively questions the very need for empirical data in software engineering, hinting at a field perhaps operating on intuition or anecdote. Alongside this, there's an immediate interest in evaluating particular techniques, exemplified by "Are Two Heads Better than One? On the Effectiveness of Pair Programming," which directly probes the efficacy of a collaborative development method. This period appears to set the stage for a more rigorous, evidence-based approach, even as it articulates an initial skepticism.
The Rise of Evidence and Foundational Understanding (2008-2009)
A significant shift occurs in 2008, where the emphasis moves decisively towards evidence-based practices and a systematic effort to understand foundational aspects of software engineering. The former skepticism is replaced by a clear drive to "Improve Evidence about Software Technologies," with specific examples like "Model-Based Testing" being examined. This period also sees a strong focus on retrospection and assessing the current state of knowledge, as seen in titles like "Inspecting the History of Inspections: An Example of Evidence-Based Technology Diffusion" and "Software Metrics: Progress after 25 Years?". A recurring theme is "What Do We Know about X?", applied to critical areas such as "Requirements Elicitation" and "Developer Motivation." The scope also expands to practical concerns like building "Trust into E-commerce Web Sites."
This trend continues into 2009, reinforcing the commitment to data and empirical knowledge. "A Look at 25 Years of Data" further solidifies the interest in historical analysis and long-term trends. The "What Do We Know about X?" query reappears for "Knowledge Management" and, notably, "Agile Software Development," indicating the growing prominence of Agile methodologies and a desire to understand their empirical basis. The focus on "Measuring Developers: Aligning Perspectives and Other Best Practices" points to an increasing interest in the human element and performance optimization within development teams.
Deepening into Specific Practices and Global Contexts (2010-2012)
Between 2010 and 2012, the research broadens its scope to encompass more complex software engineering domains and organizational challenges, while maintaining a strong undercurrent of evidence-based inquiry. In 2010, the focus is on scaling and structuring software development, with titles addressing "Patterns in Effective Distributed Software Development" and "Managing Variability in Software Product Lines." The question "What Do We Know about Test-Driven Development?" continues the trend of scrutinizing specific development practices. There's also an emphasis on process formalization with "Creating Software Process Capability/Maturity Models."
By 2011, new dimensions emerge, such as the business aspect of "Five Facts on the Adoption of Open Source Software" and the complexities of "Global Software Engineering," where evidence is noted as a "whisper" rather than a shout, hinting at data collection challenges in distributed settings. The continued focus on "Software Product Lines" now extends to "Testing." Furthermore, the emphasis on direct applicability of research to industry is clear with "Developing Fault-Prediction Models: What the Research Can Show Industry."
The year 2012 sees a return to foundational principles, but with a renewed "evidence" lens. Classic concepts like "Conway's Law" are revisited, seeking empirical support for a "Task-Based Perspective." The explicit demand for evidence extends to new methodologies with "What's the Evidence for Lean?" and concrete practices with "Evidence-Based Guidelines to Defect Causal Analysis." Notably, the influence of organizational context becomes more prominent, as seen in "Organizational Culture and Success in SPI Initiatives," highlighting the human and systemic factors in software process improvement.
Questioning, Maturing, and Human-Centric Focus (2013-2015)
This period suggests a shift from broad foundational inquiries to a more nuanced examination of established concepts and practical challenges, with an increasing focus on team dynamics and specific pain points. In 2013, the title "Design Patterns: Magic or Myth?" indicates a questioning of long-held software engineering tenets, moving beyond simple acceptance to critical re-evaluation. Simultaneously, the focus shifts to internal team dynamics with "Toward Learning Teams," emphasizing human-centric aspects of development.
By 2015, the research delves into specific, recurring problems. "Naming the Pain in Requirements Engineering: Comparing Practices in Brazil and Germany" highlights a deep dive into practical challenges within a crucial phase of development, also introducing a comparative, cross-cultural dimension. The maturation of previously identified trends is evident in "Agile Compass: A Tool for Identifying Maturity in Agile Software-Development Teams," demonstrating a move from simply understanding Agile to developing tools for assessing its implementation and maturity within teams.
Diversification, Adaptation, and Organizational Dynamics (2016-2017)
The final period indicates a highly diversified research landscape, exploring a wide array of factors influencing software development, from education and leadership to organizational structures and process adaptation, often in specific contexts. In 2016, the scope broadens significantly. Software engineering education is considered with "Is an Athletic Approach the Future of Software Engineering Education?", suggesting innovative pedagogical models. The re-evaluation of specific practices continues with "The Effectiveness of Pair Programming: Software Professionals' Perceptions," building on earlier inquiries but focusing on practitioner viewpoints. The unique challenges of "Software Process Improvement in Very Small Organizations" show an attention to context-specific solutions. Foundational laws like "Lehman's Laws of Software Evolution" are re-evaluated for "Software Product Lines," marrying established theory with modern practices. The interplay between research and practice is highlighted in "Team Performance in Software Development: Research Results versus Agile Principles," and the critical role of human factors is emphasized by "How Software Development Group Leaders Influence Team Members' Innovative Behavior." The continuing relevance of hybrid models is seen with "ADAPT: A Framework for Agile Distributed Software Development."
In 2017, the forward-looking and adaptive nature of the field is underlined. "Preparing Tomorrow's Software Engineers for Work in a Global Environment" points to the evolving demands on software professionals. Furthermore, "The Best Software Development Teams Might be Temporary" suggests a radical re-thinking of traditional team structures, implying an increasing focus on flexible, ephemeral organizational models designed for agility and specific project needs. This period demonstrates a move towards a holistic understanding of software engineering as a socio-technical system, constantly adapting to new challenges and environments.
