Towards Continuous Systematic Literature Review in Software Engineering

TL;DR

This paper introduces the concept of Continuous Systematic Literature Review (CSLR) in Software Engineering, aiming to keep SLRs continuously updated with new evidence, thereby enhancing their relevance and trustworthiness.

Contribution

It proposes a novel CSLR process, describes its development through meta-ethnography, and evaluates its feasibility via a case study in SE.

Findings

CSLR process is described in BPMN format.

Case study indicates CSLR is feasible in practice.

CSLR helps maintain up-to-date evidence in SLRs.

Abstract

Context: New scientific evidence continuously arises with advances in Software Engineering (SE) research. Conventionally, Systematic Literature Reviews (SLRs) are not updated or updated intermittently, leaving gaps between updates, during which time the SLR may be missing crucial new evidence. Goal: We propose and evaluate a concept and process called Continuous Systematic Literature Review (CSLR) in SE. Method: To elaborate on the CSLR concept and process, we performed a synthesis of evidence by conducting a meta-ethnography, addressing knowledge from varied research areas. Furthermore, we conducted a case study to evaluate the CSLR process. Results: We describe the resulting CSLR process in BPMN format. The case study results provide indications on the importance and feasibility of applying CSLR in practice to continuously update SLR evidence in SE. Conclusion: The CSLR concept and process provide a feasible and systematic way to continuously incorporate new evidence into SLRs, supporting trustworthy and up-to-date evidence for SLRs in SE.