Struggling to Connect: A Researchers' Reflection on Networking in Software Engineering

TL;DR

This paper examines how social, cultural, and institutional factors influence researchers' ability to network in software engineering, highlighting barriers and advocating for community-driven solutions to promote equity.

Contribution

It provides a reflective analysis of invisible barriers to networking in software engineering and proposes community-driven initiatives to address inequities.

Findings

Factors like country, gender, and language impact networking opportunities.

Barriers are often invisible and rooted in cultural and institutional contexts.

Community-driven initiatives can help mitigate networking inequities.

Abstract

Networking is central to the growth and visibility of software engineering research and researchers. However, opportunities and capacities to build such networks are not easily identified and often are unevenly distributed. While networking is often viewed as an individual skill, a researchers workplace, culture and environment significantly influence their motivation and, consequently, the networks they form. This paper explores how factors such as country of residence, immigration status, language, gender, and surrounding context affect researchers' ability to establish professional connections and succeed within the global research ecosystem. Drawing on existing literature and personal experience, this reflective report examines the often-invisible barriers to networking and advocates for a community-driven "expert voice" initiative to acknowledge and address these inequities.