Software engineering research strategy: Combining Experimental and Explorative Research (EER)

Abstract

In this paper a new Experimental and Explorative Research (EER) research strategy is proposed. It combines experimental software engineering with exploratory research of new technologies. EER is based on several years experience of using and developing the approach in research of future mobile applications. In large international projects explorative application research includes quite often both industrial software developers and experienced researchers. This kind of an experimental research environment resolves the subject problem found in student experiments. It also does not have the difficulties found in experimental design and control of industrial projects that are constrained by strict commercial conditions. EER strategy provides benefits for both worlds: (1) experimental software engineering research benefits from almost industry level projects that can be used as experimentation environments, and (2) future mobile telecom application research benefits from better control and understanding of the characteristics of the applications and their development methods and processes. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2004.