Incorporating Practitioner Based Enquiry Into Software Development Research

This paper describes a research model, known as Practitioner Based Enquiry (PBE), now being used in academic disciplines exploring the creative industries. We propose that it would form a useful additional methodology in the arsenal of ICT researchers. It allows the research process to penetrate the privacy of the office cubicle to uncover what software developers actually do rather than what they say they do, or what they may recall a week later in a survey or interview setting. PBE provides not only a new approach to examine the software development process, it also provides a research model that may be particularly relevant to post-graduate research students who wish to complete a project whilst engaged with an industry partner or their current employer. It is also a research model that may provide results that are more directly relevant to industry partners. Consequently it may be relevant to many universities seeking to address the challenges of attracting good research students and engaging in industry relevant research projects.