Experimental Software Engineering Issues

Summary

Since its inception in 1968,softwareengineering has struggled to find its identity. Today, we can identify three different approaches to study of the discipline of software engineering in the research community: the mathematical or formal methods approach, the system building approach, and the empirical studies group. Within the mathematical or formal methods camp, the emphasis is on finding better formal methods and languages and software development is viewed as a mathematical transformation process. Within the system building group, the emphasis is on finding better methods for structuring large systems and software development is viewed as a creative task which can not be controlled other than through rigid constraints on the resulting product. Within the empirical studies group, the emphasis is on understanding the strengths and weaknesses of methods and tools in order to tailor them to the specific goals of a particular software project.

The purpose of this workshop was to gather together those member of the software engineering community who support an engineering approach, based upon empirical studies to provide an interchange of ideas and paradigms for research.