Research

A typical problem with software engineering research is that either it is difficult to find companies that provide reasonable research possibilities or the research is made with students in artifical environments. Software Factory provides a solution for this problem. In Software Factory you can do research in a very authentic environment. Most of the participants in Software Factory projects are students but the environment is very business-like.

  • The team works constantly together just like in a real work place.

  • There is always a real business demand behind the project, which makes the project context valid for research.

  • At the same time the researchers can observe the team members anytime and even participate in projects if participant observation is considered useful.

Methods, practices, tools

  • Cameras and microphones record activities in the Factory room, and researchers are able to look and listen afterwards what has happened.

  • Researchers can bring their own research equipment (e.g. palms or tablets that the team members use).

  • Researchers can ask participants to answer questionnaires (paper or web) during the project.

  • All written material (e.g. code and documentation) provided by the team is available for the research purposes.

  • Researchers can come to the Factory room and do direct observation.

  • Researchers can also take part in the projects and do participant observation.

  • Researchers can interview team members and customers after the projects.

Not just for computer scientists

Software Factory is not a research laboratory only for computer scientists. A Factory project provides plenty of interesting research material for scientists from other fields as well. An example is psychometric data collection made by the researchers from the Department of Behavioral Science, University of Helsinki.

Research by master level students

Master's level students can also do research in Software Factory. If you are doing for example your master's thesis, all methods that are available for other researchers are available for you as well. Two examples of master's level research are two master's theses written during spring 2010. One was related to the Kanban method, value, and work processes, and the other was about self-organizing software development teams.

Sounds interesting, how can I start?

If you think that Software Factory is an excellent place for you to do research or if you still wonder about something, please contact us.

See also: Software Factory research group on Department of Computer Science web pages.

Publications

2011

2010