| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/C51839X/1 |
| Title: |
Evidence-Based Software Engineering |
| Principal Investigator: |
Budgen, Professor D |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Computer Science and Mathematics |
| Organisation: |
Keele University |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 April 2005 |
Ends: |
30 June 2007 |
Value (£): |
187,094
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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In the last decade, medical research has changed dramatically as a result of adopting an evidence-based approach (or paradigm). In the late 80s and early 90s, studies showed on the one hand that failure to undertake systematic reviews of medical research could cost lives and on the other hand that the clinical judgement of experts compared unfavourably with the results of systematic reviews. Since the publication of these influential papers, many medical researchers have adopted the evidence-based paradigm and medical practitioners are now trained in this approach.The success of evidence-based medicine has prompted many other disciplines that provide services to, or for, members of the public to attempt to adopt a similar approach, including, for example, psychiatry, nursing, social policy, and education. We do not suggest that software engineers should adopt a new practice just because everyone else is doing it , particularly since the evidence-based movement has its critics who have pointed out that research is fallible, relies on generalisations that may be difficult to interpret, and is often insufficient for determining appropriate means for delivering best practice. In addition, the evidence-based paradigm has not been so successful in surgery as in medicine. However, we believe that a successful innovation in a discipline that, like software engineering, attempts to harness scientific advances for the benefit of society is worth investigating.Thus, in this project we propose investigating the viability of adopting the evidence-based paradigm for software engineering. As part of this, we propose to establish a software engineering equivalent of a Cochrane Group to provide rigorous systematic reviews of evidence relating to the use of component-based software development. A Cochrane Group comprises a group of researchers who take responsibility for performing and maintaining systematic reviews of evidence associated with a particular medical topic (for example, treatment for a specific type of cancer) for the benefit of the medical community and the general population. In our case, we propose to concentrate on issues associated with Component-Based Software Engineering (CBSE ), since this is an area where we already have extensive established and relevant expertise.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.keele.ac.uk |