SEE 2nd Presentation

[Scavenger233]

Scoping is an essential part of any research project, especially in a broad field like Software Engineering Evolution. Here’s a step-by-step guide to scoping your research effectively:

1. Define the Purpose and Objectives

• Purpose: Clarify why you’re researching Software Engineering Evolution. Is it to explore recent trends, understand challenges in legacy systems, or analyze the impact of new methodologies?
• Research Questions: Frame specific research questions that will guide your scoping. For example:
  • How have software engineering practices evolved to accommodate modern software requirements?
  • What are the main challenges in maintaining and evolving legacy systems?
  • How is AI impacting software evolution?

2. Identify Core Themes and Subfields

Software Engineering Evolution spans various subfields. Identifying the core themes will help you decide which areas to focus on. Some key areas are:

• Maintenance and Modernization: Updating and maintaining legacy systems.
• Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD): Evolution in deployment practices.
• Agile and DevOps Evolution: Modern development frameworks and practices.
• Quality Assurance and Testing: Evolving testing strategies and tools.

• Emerging Technologies: Impact of AI, automation, and cloud on software evolution.

  Select 3–5 themes that align with your research objectives.

3. Review Key Literature and Identify Gaps

• Preliminary Literature Review: Start with a preliminary search for recent literature in each chosen theme to understand current research trends.
• Identify Gaps: Look for areas that are under-explored, have conflicting findings, or face ongoing challenges. Gaps could be:
  • Limited understanding of long-term maintenance strategies.
  • Challenges with incorporating AI and machine learning into legacy systems.
  • Need for improved tools to handle continuous evolution without significant downtime.

4. Define Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

Clearly establish criteria for what will be included or excluded in your research scope:

• Inclusion: Specify the types of studies, publication years, and journals that are most relevant (e.g., focusing on studies from the last 5-10 years, or only including peer-reviewed research).
• Exclusion: Define what’s outside your scope, such as research on unrelated aspects of software development, older studies that may not reflect current trends, or topics that are tangential to evolution.

5. Determine Methodological Approaches

• Methodologies to Include: Decide if you’ll focus on empirical studies, case studies, literature reviews, or mixed methods. For software evolution, empirical studies and case studies are often valuable since they provide insights based on real-world data.
• Analytical Approach: Decide if your scoping will include quantitative analysis (e.g., statistics on tools usage) or qualitative insights (e.g., interviews with practitioners on evolving methodologies).

6. Use Scoping Tools and Frameworks

Utilize a scoping review framework like PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) to organize your approach. PRISMA-ScR helps structure the review process, ensuring you’re systematic in identifying and categorizing relevant studies.

7. Organize and Map the Findings

• Mapping: Create a concept map or framework that connects each theme, key findings, and gaps. This will give you a visual overview of the research landscape.
• Synthesis Matrix: Use a matrix to compare different aspects of each theme, summarizing authors, methodologies, findings, and gaps. This will make it easier to identify patterns and relationships in the literature.

8. Refine Scope Based on Preliminary Findings

As you gather more information, you may need to refine your scope. If certain areas seem too broad or unmanageable, narrow them down based on relevance and available literature.

9. Formulate a Final Research Scope Statement

Write a concise research scope statement that:

• Outlines your research objectives.
• Defines the core themes, inclusion/exclusion criteria, and methodologies.
• Summarizes the significance of your research and expected contributions to the field.

[Scavenger233]

Presentations Week 11/12: (10%) Individual presentation: Exact dates to be confirmed Due date for slides: Wednesday week 11, 12h00. 7 minutes in person (time limit will be strictly adhered to) outside normal class times (timeslots to be selected from spreadsheet which will be shared) Focus on 5 core research papers related to the topic for your final research paper. Focus on the current state of the research. To avoid multiple submissions on the same topic, topic proposals will have to be approved (shared spreadsheet will be provided.