SEMay 26

Software Engineering Podcasts: An Empirical Study of Their Potential as a Research Resource

arXiv:2605.2679326.7
Predicted impact top 76% in SE · last 90 daysOriginality Synthesis-oriented
AI Analysis

For software engineering researchers, this work provides an initial understanding of podcasts as a potential data source, though the contribution is incremental.

This study systematically explores the software engineering podcast landscape, analyzing content and surveying researchers to assess podcasts as a resource for empirical research. It finds that podcasts offer unique practitioner insights but have limited direct use in current research.

Podcasts have become an increasingly popular medium for knowledge sharing within the software engineering (SE) community, offering insights into industry developments and the perspectives of professionals with different backgrounds. As this medium grows, it presents a potentially valuable resource not only for practitioners but also for researchers seeking to understand the evolving field. However, little is known about the actual content of SE podcasts or how they are perceived and used by researchers. This study systematically explores the SE podcast landscape, analyzing its content and surveying researchers to assess how podcasts can serve as a meaningful resource for advancing empirical software engineering research.

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