Teaching theorizing in software engineering research

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Date
2024-12-25
Authors
Stol, Klaas-Jan
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Springer Nature
Published Version
10.1007/978-3-031-71769-7_3
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Abstract
This chapter seeks to support software engineering (SE) researchers and educators in teaching the importance of theory as well as the theorizing process. Drawing on insights from other fields, the chapter presents 12 intermediate products of theorizing and what they mean in an SE context. These intermediate products serve different roles: some are theory products to frame research studies, some are theory generators, and others are components of a theory. Whereas the SE domain doesn’t have many theories of its own, these intermediate products of theorizing can be found widely. The chapter aims to help readers to recognize these intermediate products, their role, and how they can help in the theorizing process within SE research. To illustrate their utility, the chapter then applies the set of intermediate theorizing products to the software architecture research field. The chapter ends with a suggested structure for a 12-week course on theorizing in SE which can be readily adapted by educators.
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Keywords
Software engineering (SE) , Theory , Theorizing process , Intermediate products of theorizing
Citation
Stol, K. J. (2024) 'Teaching theorizing in software engineering research', in Mendez, D., Avgeriou, P., Kalinowski, M., Ali, N.B. (eds) Handbook on Teaching Empirical Software Engineering. Springer, Cham, pp. 31-69. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-71769-7_3
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https://hdl.handle.net/10468/17344
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Computer Science - Book Chapters
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© 2024, the Author, under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG. This version of the chapter has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record. The Version of Record is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-71769-7_3