Researcher Bias in Software Engineering Experiments: A Qualitative Investigation

Researcher Bias in Software Engineering Experiments : A Qualitative Investigation

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Researcher Bias (RB) occurs when researchers influence the results of an empirical study based on their expectations. RB might be due to the use of Questionable Research Practices (QRPs). In research fields like medicine, blinding techniques have been applied to counteract RB. We conducted an explorative qualitative survey to investigate RB in Software Engineering (SE) experiments, with respect to: (i) QRPs potentially leading to RB, (ii) causes behind RB, and (iii) possible actions to counteract RB including blinding techniques. Data collection was based on semi-structured interviews. We interviewed nine active experts in the empirical SE community. We then analyzed the transcripts of these interviews through thematic analysis. We found that some QRPs are acceptable in certain cases. Also, it appears that the presence of RB is perceived in SE and, to counteract RB, a number of solutions have been highlighted: some are intended for SE researchers and others for the boards of SE research outlets. © 2020 IEEE.

NATURVETENSKAP Data- och informationsvetenskap Programvaruteknik hsv//swe
NATURAL SCIENCES Computer and Information Sciences Software Engineering hsv//eng
blinding
interview
researcher bias
Survey
Engineering
Industrial engineering
Blinding technique
Data collection
Empirical studies
Qualitative surveys
Research fields
Semi structured interviews
Software engineering experiments
Thematic analysis
Application programs

Fucci, Davide,1985-Blekinge Tekniska Högskola,Institutionen för programvaruteknik(Swepub:bth)dfu (författare)
Scanniello, GiuseppeUniversity of Basilicata, ITA (författare)
Teresa Baldassarre, MariaUniversity of Bari, ITA (författare)
Turhan, BurakMonash University, AUS (författare)
Juristo, NataliaUniversidad Politecnica de Madrid, ESP (författare)
University of Bari, ITAInstitutionen för programvaruteknik (creator_code:org_t)

Ingår i:Proceedings - 46th Euromicro Conference on Software Engineering and Advanced Applications, SEAA 2020: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., s. 276-2839781728195322

Av författaren/redakt...: Romano, Simone; Fucci, Davide, 1 ...; Scanniello, Gius ...; Teresa Baldassar ...; Turhan, Burak; Juristo, Natalia

Om ämnet

NATURVETENSKAP: NATURVETENSKAP; och Data och informa ...; och Programvarutekni ...

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