To be FAIR or RIGHT? Methodological [R]esearch [I]ntegrity [G]iven [H]uman-facing [T]echnologies using the example of Learning Technologies
This work addresses the validity gap in quality assessment frameworks for RSE, particularly in human-facing contexts like learning technologies, but it is incremental as it builds on existing models.
The paper tackles the problem of assessing validity in Research Software Engineering (RSE) for human-facing technologies by introducing the RIGHT framework, which is demonstrated through two case studies in learning technologies.
Quality assessment of Research Software Engineering (RSE) plays an important role in all scientific fields. From the canonical three criteria (reliability, validity, and objectivity) previous research has focussed on reliability and the FAIR principles. The RIGHT framework is introduced to fill the gap of existing frameworks for the validity aspect. The framework is constructed using the methods of theory transfer and process modelling. It is based on existing models of simulation research, design-based research, software engineering and empirical social sciences. The paper concludes with two case studies drawn from the field of learning technologies to illustrate the practical relevance of the framework for human-facing RSE.