Exploring Web Search Engines to Find Architectural Knowledge

TL;DR

This study investigates how effectively software engineers can find relevant architectural knowledge using Google, analyzing the sources, relevance, and usefulness of web-based AK for design decisions.

Contribution

It provides empirical insights into the effectiveness of web search engines for retrieving architectural knowledge and identifies key sources and concepts of AK on the web.

Findings

Web search engines can be effective for finding architectural knowledge

Multiple sources of AK are available online, including documentation and forums

The relevance of retrieved AK varies depending on the source

Abstract

Software engineers need relevant and up-to-date architectural knowledge (AK), in order to make well-founded design decisions. However, finding such AK is quite challenging. One pragmatic approach is to search for AK on the web using traditional search engines (e.g. Google); this is common practice among software engineers. Still, we know very little about what AK is retrieved, from where, and how useful it is. In this paper, we conduct an empirical study with 53 software engineers, who used Google to make design decisions using the Attribute-Driven-Design method. Based on how the subjects assessed the nature and relevance of the retrieved results, we determined how effective web search engines are to find relevant architectural information. Moreover, we identified the different sources of AK on the web and their associated AK concepts.