Workshop Topics
  • Recognising important issues in practice that would trigger the need for conducting empirical studies in actual projects
  • Formulating relevant investigative questions, responses to which would benefit the purpose of the study
  • Improving communication between researchers and practitioners (e.g., better communication channels)
  • Obtaining access to the data, systems, project documentation, processes and so forth, as necessary
  • Dealing with threats (e.g., generalizability) in designing and conducting empirical studies in industry
  • Interpreting results in industrial contexts
  • Generalising the findings from case studies
  • Designing and conducting a family of studies
  • Stakeholder involvement in empirical studies
  • Impact of industrial settings on the design of, and on conducting, case studies, action research, studies in the field, exploratory studies, longitudinal studies, etc.:
    - Reconciling researchers' scientific need (e.g., for data and information) with practitioners' business concerns (e.g., for privacy and preservation of reputation)
    - Bringing on board various stakeholders in the company (and getting their time and commitment) in support of the studies to be conducted
    - Others: dealing with missing data, conducting ethnographic studies, ensuring researcher neutrality
    - Ensuring that trustworthy results are put to use in industry projects
  • Designing and conducting surveys:
    - Adopting strategies for attracting respondents
    - Creating an environment of trust so as to obtain honest data and information
    - Implementing quality control on responses