Using the focus group method in software engineering: obtaining practitioner and user experiences
2004
This paper reflects on three cases where the focus group method was used to obtain feedback and experiences from software engineering practitioners and application users. The focus group method and its background are presented, the method's weaknesses and strengths are discussed, and guidelines are provided for how to use the method in the software engineering context. Furthermore, the results of the three studies conducted are highlighted and the paper concludes in a discussion on the applicability of the method for this type of research. In summary, the focus group method is a cost-effective and quick empirical research approach for obtaining qualitative insights and feedback from practitioners. It can be used in several phases and types of research. However, a major limitation of the method is that it is useful only in studying concepts that can be understood by participants in a limited time. We also recommend that in the software engineering context, the method should be used with sufficient empirical rigor.
Keywords:
- Software peer review
- Software engineering
- Social software engineering
- Software construction
- Management science
- Software Engineering Process Group
- Software requirements
- Software verification and validation
- Systems engineering
- Software development
- Computer science
- Software walkthrough
- Software analytics
- Personal software process
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