Protocol adaptations to conduct systematic literature reviews in software engineering: A chronological study

Abstract

Systematic literature reviews (SLR) have reached a considerable level of adoption in Software Engineering. However, protocol adaptations for its implementation remain tangentially addressed. This work provides a chronological study for the use and adaptation of the SLR protocol, including its current status. A systematic literature search was performed, reviewing a set of twelve articles published between 2004 and 2013, and selected in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria and using digital data sources recognized by the SE community. A chronological study that includes the current state of the protocol adaptations to conduct SLR in SE is provided. The results indicate areas where the quantity and quality of investigations needs to be increased, and the identification and also the main proposals providing adaptations for the protocol conducting SLR in SE.