Experiences in Using the V-Model as a Framework for Applied Doctoral Research

TL;DR

This paper shares practical insights from nearly two decades of using the V-Model as a framework to guide applied empirical research in software engineering, highlighting its benefits and lessons learned.

Contribution

It introduces the V-Model as a structured framework for conducting and teaching applied empirical research in software engineering, based on extensive practical experience.

Findings

V-Model effectively structures empirical research processes.

Different empirical methods fit well within the V-Model framework.

Lessons learned improve future research and teaching practices.

Abstract

The pervasive role played by software in virtually all industries has fostered ever-increasing development of applied research in software engineering. In this chapter, we contribute our experience in using the V-Model as a framework for teaching how to conduct applied research in empirical software engineering. The foundational idea of using the V-Model is presented, and guidance for using it to frame the research is provided. Furthermore, we show how the framework has been instantiated throughout nearly two decades of PhD theses done at the University of Kaiserslautern (RPTU Kaiserslautern) in partnership with Fraunhofer IESE, including the most frequent usage patterns, how the different empirical methods fit into the framework, and the lessons we have learned from this experience.