Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria in Software Engineering Tertiary Studies: A Systematic Mapping and Emerging Framework
This work addresses methodological rigor for software engineering researchers conducting tertiary studies, though it is incremental as it builds on existing practices.
The paper tackled the problem of inconsistent inclusion and exclusion criteria in software engineering tertiary studies by conducting a systematic mapping of 50 papers, resulting in the TSICEC framework to guide researchers in defining and applying these criteria.
Context: Tertiary studies in software engineering (TS@SE) are widely used to synthesise evidence on a research topic systematically. As part of their protocol, TS@SE define inclusion and exclusion criteria (IC/EC) aimed at selecting those secondary studies (SS) to be included in the analysis. Aims: To provide a state of the art on the definition and application of IC/EC in TS@SE, and from the results of this analysis, we outline an emerging framework, TSICEC, to be used by SE researchers. Method: To provide the state of the art, we conducted a systematic mapping (SM) combining automatic search and snowballing over the body of SE scientific literature, which led to 50 papers after application of our own IC/EC. The extracted data was synthesised using content analysis. The results were used to define a first version of TSICEC. Results: The SM resulted in a coding schema, and a thorough analysis of the selected papers on the basis of this coding. Our TSICEC framework includes guidelines for the definition of IC/EC in TS@SE. Conclusion: This paper is a step forward establishing a foundation for researchers in two ways. As authors, understanding the different possibilities to define IC/EC and apply them to select SS. As readers, having an instrument to understand the methodological rigor upon which TS@SE may claim their findings.