Social Science Theories in Software Engineering Research

TL;DR

This study examines the limited and sporadic use of social science theories in software engineering research, highlighting the need for greater integration to enhance the discipline's scientific maturity.

Contribution

It provides an empirical analysis of social science theory usage in software engineering literature over 13 years, revealing gaps and suggesting directions for integrating theories.

Findings

Only 2% of papers use social science theories

Most theories are used in only one paper

Theories are rarely tested for applicability

Abstract

As software engineering research becomes more concerned with the psychological, sociological and managerial aspects of software development, relevant theories from reference disciplines are increasingly important for understanding the field's core phenomena of interest. However, the degree to which software engineering research draws on relevant social sciences remains unclear. This study therefore investigates the use of social science theories in five influential software engineering journals over 13 years. It analyzes not only the extent of theory use but also what, how and where these theories are used. While 87 different theories are used, less than two percent of papers use a social science theory, most theories are used in only one paper, most social sciences are ignored, and the theories are rarely tested for applicability to software engineering contexts. Ignoring relevant social science theories may (1) undermine the community's ability to generate, elaborate and maintain a cumulative body of knowledge; and (2) lead to oversimplified models of software engineering phenomena. More attention to theory is needed for software engineering to mature as a scientific discipline.