The case for empirical studies of the practice of software development
Hugh Robinson, Judith A. Segal, Helen Sharp · Open Research Online - ORO (The Open University) · 2004
In this paper, we argue that ethnographically-based field studies can make a unique contribution to empirical software engineering. We begin by discussing why such studies are important and what they entail. We then discuss the contexts in which they may inform empirical software engineering research (perhaps in combination with other types of study) and how they might be tailored to fit the needs of software engineers.