Empirical Software Engineering

Over the last decade, it has become clear that softwareengineering is fundamentally an empirical discipline. Softwaredevelopment practices and technologies must be investigatedby empirical (experimental) means in order to be understood, evaluated, anddeployed in proper contexts. This stems from the observationthat higher software quality and productivity can only beachieved if well-understood, tested practices and technologiesare introduced in software development.


My understanding of empirical software engineering is that ESE OR EXPERIMENTAL SOFTWARE ENGINEERING is the process of carrying out scientific like tests with the hope of determining the potential usability of the software within a business or non-business solution.

To test a technology objectively to me means a number of things. One is to test with a purpose, to check whether the technology does what it is supposed to, and whether it fits in with the business and how the business functions. To me it is also to carry out the testing in an unprejudiced fashion, to test its fitness for purpose rather than what we think is good or not.

Empirical Software Engineering (ESE) provides a medium for applied software engineering research with a strong empirical component. It’s goal is to promote research on relevant problems following the scientific method and the reporting of best practice in industry. It is therefore a venue to publish empirical results which are relevant to both researchers and practitioners. Reported empirical studies usually involve the collection and analysis of data and experience that can be used to characterize, evaluate and reveal relationships between software development deliverables, practices, and technologies.

Sources I used to gain an understanding of ESE are below:

www.sce.carleton.ca/squall/emse