Talks with Carolyn Seaman

lectures
Slides

On march 26 and 27 we will have the pleasure of attending the lectures on Using Qualitative Methods in Empirical Studies of Software Engineering and on Measuring and Monitoring Technical Debt by Carolyn Seaman, Associate Professor of Information Systems at the University of Maryland  and research Fellow at the Fraunhofer Center for Experimental Software Engineering.

Date: March 26th and 27th
Time: 14:00h
Where: Room 144, B building, IME-USP

Title: Using Qualitative Methods in Empirical Studies of Software Engineering

Abstract: Empirical studies in software engineering are a well-established approach to investigating important research questions. But increasingly the important research questions in our field address the human aspects of software development, and this adds a new layer of complexity to an already challenging area. Along with new research questions, new research methods are needed to study nontechnical aspects of software engineering. In many other disciplines, qualitativeresearch methods have been developed and are commonly used to handle the complexity of issues involving human behavior.

This mini-course presents several qualitative methods for data collection and analysis and describes them in terms of how they might be incorporated into empirical studies of software engineering, in particular how they might be combined with quantitative methods. To illustrate this use of qualitative methods, examples from real software engineering studies are used throughout the presentation.

You may want to check the presentation.

Title : Measuring and Monitoring Technical Debt

Abstract: The "technical debt" metaphor characterizes the relationship between the short-term benefits of delaying certain software maintenance tasks and the long-term cost of those delays. This metaphor frames the problem of delayed maintenance tasks as a type of "debt," which brings a short-term benefit (usually in terms of higher productivity or shorter release time) but which might have to be paid back, with "interest," later.  The "principal" on the debt is the amount of effort required to "pay off" the debt (i.e. complete the task), while the "interest" is the potential penalty (in terms of increased effort and decreased productivity) that will have to be paid in the future as a result of not completing these tasks in the present. In addition to being an intuitively appealing and helpful metaphor, the term "technical debt" inspires new ways of addressing and studying classic software maintenance problems. This talk will discuss the important research questions in this area, ongoing and planned studies to address these questions, and the current state of technical debt management in the software industry.

You may want to check the presentation.

Short bio: Dr. Seaman is an Associate Professor of Information Systems at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). Her research generally falls under the umbrella of empirical studies of software engineering,with particular emphases on maintenance, organizational structure,communication, measurement, COTS-based development, and qualitative research methods.  Dr. Seaman is also a Research Fellow at the Fraunhofer Center for Experimental Software Engineering, Maryland, where she participates in research on experience management in software engineering organizations and software metrics. Currently, during the 2012-13 academic year, she is spending a sabbatical as a visiting researcher in Brazil, based at the Center for Informatics at the Federal University of Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil, where she is conducting research in the management of software technical debt. She holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, College Park, a MS in Information and Computer Science from Georgia Tech, and a BA in Computer Science and Mathematics from the College of Wooster (Ohio). She has worked in the software industry as a software engineer and consultant, and has conducted most of her research in industrial and governmental settings (e.g. IBM Canada Ltd., NASA, Xerox).


Annexes:


Date
March 26th to 27th, 2013