Investigating the use of Software Engineering in Computer Science Research
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Computer Science and Software Engineering
Method and results of investigation
Conclusions drawn
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Australian Survey Results

The results below show correlations between outcomes and other factors examined in the survey.

A list of all survey questions and frequencies of the various responses is also available.
These lists are auto generated and may require a little interpretation.

E.1 The population surveyed


Figure E.2: Respondent’s university

Figure E.2: Respondent’s university

As shown in Figure E.2, a large number of the responses (15 in total) were from Monash. A further 4 were from Curtin University of Technology. All other universities had 1 or 2 participants.

Figure E.3 shows the respondents primary field of training. As shown, most (21 in total) were primarily trained in Computer Science. A further 4 were training in Computing or Programming and 2 were training in mathematics. Only one person was trained in a science other than computer science. There were 3 people who's training did not at the selection provided. Two of these were varieties of engineering and the other was digital systems, as indicated in the open response question.


Figure E.3: Respondent's  field of training

Figure E.3: Respondent's field of training

Figure E.4 shows the respondents primary role in their current institution. The break down is as expected for an Australian university.


Figure E.4: Respondent's  primary role

Figure E.4: Respondent's primary role

Figure E.5 shows how many respondents have taught Software Engineering.


Figure E.5: Has respondent taught Software Engineering?

Figure E.5: Has respondent taught Software Engineering?

E.2 Correlations of interest

This section includes graphs and tables of metric on research outcomes. It also includes graphs and tables for a number of matrices related to the attitude of computer scientists to some parts of software engineering.

Outcome metrics reflect both qualitative e.g. `personal satisfaction' and quantitative e.g. `publication output' analysis. The exact questions asked can be seen in appendix [TODO insert reference to correct appendix].

In this section a graph provides an overview and is later followed by a table which provides further detail.


Figure E.6: Lateness of Analysis and Design and significant correlations

Figure E.6: Lateness of Analysis and Design and significant correlations






Lateness started on A and D




Correlated with Correlation Degree of Freedom significance




Formalism -0.647 32 0.01
SDLC 0.599 32 0.01
Project Management -0.597 32 0.01
Interaction Diagram -0.587 21 0.01
RequirementsReview -0.579 23 0.01
UML -0.571 23 0.01
GrantsValue -0.506 20 0.05
DesignWalkThrough -0.498 20 0.05
StructuredAandD -0.482 18 0.05
UseCaseDiagrams -0.462 20 0.05
StateDiagram -0.454 25 0.05
UseCases -0.447 22 0.05
ER -0.434 27 0.05
EndYear -0.421 32 0.05
DFD -0.414 28 0.05
CodeReview -0.408 23 0.1
Technical Reviews -0.406 19 0.1





Table E.1: Lateness of Analysis and Design and significant correlations, ordered by significance and correlation


Figure E.7: Would document after and significant correlations

Figure E.7: Would document after and significant correlations






Document After




Correlated with Correlation Degree of Freedom significance




Interaction Diagram 0.687 21 0.01
UseCaseDiagrams 0.677 20 0.01
Use SE earlier 0.624 32 0.01
CodeReview 0.603 23 0.01
Technical Reviews 0.547 19 0.05
GrantsValue 0.506 20 0.05
StateDiagram 0.478 25 0.05
UML 0.477 23 0.05
UseCases 0.461 22 0.05
ClassDiagram 0.452 26 0.05
MSProject -0.447 17 0.1





Table E.2: Would document after and significant correlations, ordered by significance and correlation


Figure E.8: Personal frustration during the project and significant correlations

Figure E.8: Personal frustration during the project and significant correlations






Personal Frustration




Correlated with Correlation Degree of Freedom significance




PersonalSatisfaction -0.731 32 0.01
MSProject 0.696 17 0.01
Funding 0.519 26 0.01
TimeDevelopment 0.513 32 0.01
SizePeakPeople 0.472 32 0.01
SizeTotalPeople 0.469 32 0.01
FutureUsageChange -0.469 28 0.05
StartYear -0.419 32 0.05
Documentation 0.403 32 0.05





Table E.3: Personal frustration during the project and significant correlations, ordered by significance and correlation


Figure E.9: Projects funding and significant correlations

Figure E.9: Projects funding and significant correlations






Funding




Correlated with Correlation Degree of Freedom significance




SizePeakPeople 0.999 26 0.01
TimeDevelopment 0.969 26 0.01
VariableNames -0.771 21 0.01
Time in Planning 0.71 26 0.01
MSProject 0.667 15 0.01
StartYear -0.591 26 0.01
FutureUsageChange -0.571 22 0.01
PersonalSatisfaction -0.566 26 0.01
DeptSize 0.526 24 0.01
PersonalFrustration 0.519 26 0.01
PastUsageChange 0.521 22 0.05
Compiler -0.454 21 0.05
sufficientResources -0.454 26 0.05
Rewrites 0.443 25 0.05
EndYear 0.433 26 0.05
Formalism 0.424 26 0.05
Booch Notation 0.471 15 0.10





Table E.4: Projects funding and significant correlations, ordered by significance and correlation


Figure E.10: Participants prediction of their future use of Software Engineering (relative to
their present use) and significant correlations

Figure E.10: Participants prediction of their future use of Software Engineering (relative to their present use) and significant correlations






Future Usage Change




Correlated with Correlation Degree of Freedom significance




StartYear 0.6 28 0.01
Funding -0.571 22 0.01
SizeTotalPeople -0.548 28 0.01
SizePeakPeople -0.545 28 0.01
TimeDevelopment -0.514 28 0.01
PersonalSatisfaction 0.509 28 0.01
InternalComments 0.506 25 0.01
PastUsageChange -0.464 32 0.01
RationRose -0.597 16 0.05
MSProject -0.523 17 0.05
StudentContinuedResearch 0.486 27 0.05
Time in Planning -0.474 28 0.05
Use SE earlier 0.472 28 0.05
PersonalFrustration -0.469 28 0.05
UseCases 0.443 22 0.05
Compiler 0.415 31 0.05
UseCaseDiagrams 0.463 18 0.1
SpiralSDLC 0.419 20 0.1





Table E.5: Participants prediction of their future use of Software Engineering (relative to their present use) and significant correlations, ordered by significance and correlation


Figure E.11: Total value of grants attracted and significant correlations

Figure E.11: Total value of grants attracted and significant correlations






GrantsValue




Correlated with Correlation Degree of Freedom significance




Paper 0.856 21 0.01
Booch Notation 0.814 17 0.01
Meeting Frequency -0.707 20 0.01
Interaction Diagram 0.704 17 0.01
Compiler -0.665 15 0.01
Use SE earlier 0.657 20 0.01
Time in Planning 0.639 20 0.01
Project Management 0.517 20 0.05
UML 0.51 21 0.05
AandD Before coding -0.506 20 0.05
Document After 0.506 20 0.05
specification Language 0.503 18 0.05
Taught SE 0.501 16 0.05
Technical Reviews 0.501 19 0.05
Meeting Duration 0.443 20 0.1
Rewrites 0.434 19 0.1
Formalism 0.428 20 0.1





Table E.6: Total value of grants attracted and significant correlations, ordered by significance and correlation


Figure E.12: Number of higher degree by research students involved in the project and
significant correlations

Figure E.12: Number of higher degree by research students involved in the project and significant correlations






Higher Degree by Research




Correlated with Correlation Degree of Freedom significance




UML -0.451 23 0.05
HDBRpubs 0.441 30 0.05
ClassDiagram -0.421 26 0.05
IntegrationTesting -0.42 22 0.1





Table E.7: Number of higher degree by research students involved in the project and significant correlations, ordered by significance and correlation


Figure E.13: Average (related) publications per higher degree by research students involved
in the project and significant correlations

Figure E.13: Average (related) publications per higher degree by research students involved in the project and significant correlations






Higher Degree by Research Publications




Correlated with Correlation Degree of Freedom significance




spin-off Projects 0.699 30 0.01
StudentContinuedResearch 0.565 31 0.01
sufficientResources -0.537 30 0.01
PastUsageChange 0.532 26 0.01
Use SE earlier 0.488 30 0.01
CodeReview 0.464 23 0.05
HDBR 0.441 30 0.05
UnitTesting -0.429 20 0.1
specification Language 0.419 18 0.1





Table E.8: Average (related) publications per higher degree by research students involved in the project and significant correlations, ordered by significance and correlation


Figure E.14: Publications from the project and significant correlations

Figure E.14: Publications from the project and significant correlations






Publications resulting from project




Correlated with Correlation Degree of Freedom significance




GrantsValue 0.856 21 0.01
Time in Planning 0.718 29 0.01
Compiler -0.604 24 0.01
TimeDevelopment 0.541 29 0.01
StartYear -0.482 29 0.01
Booch Notation 0.658 14 0.05
FountainSDLC 0.547 17 0.05
Technical Reviews 0.547 18 0.05
Rewrites 0.476 28 0.05
Meeting Frequency -0.424 29 0.05
ProtoTyping 0.416 24 0.05
spin-off Projects 0.4 29 0.05
UseCases 0.422 19 0.1





Table E.9: Publications from the project and significant correlations, ordered by significance and correlation


Figure E.15: Participants estimation of the change up to present in their level of software
engineering and significant correlations

Figure E.15: Participants estimation of the change up to present in their level of software engineering and significant correlations






Past Usage Change




Correlated with Correlation Degree of Freedom significance




HDBRpubs 0.532 26 0.01
SizePeakPeople 0.5 28 0.01
SizeTotalPeople 0.492 28 0.01
FutureUsageChange -0.464 32 0.01
MSProject 0.597 17 0.05
Funding 0.521 22 0.05
InternalComments -0.477 25 0.05
Project Management 0.458 28 0.05
Time in Planning 0.457 28 0.05
Debugger -0.454 31 0.05
FountainSDLC -0.492 14 0.1
specification Language 0.441 18 0.1
UseCases -0.416 22 0.1
SpiralSDLC -0.413 20 0.1
UseCaseDiagrams -0.412 18 0.1





Table E.10: Participants estimation of the change up to present in their level of software engineering and significant correlations, ordered by significance and correlation


Figure E.16: Ability to get resources needed and significant correlations

Figure E.16: Ability to get resources needed and significant correlations






sufficient resources




Correlated with Correlation Degree of Freedom significance




HDBRpubs -0.537 30 0.01
Funding -0.454 26 0.05
StudentContinuedResearch -0.452 31 0.05
UML 0.425 23 0.05
EndYear -0.408 32 0.05
SizePeakPeople -0.402 32 0.05





Table E.11: Ability to get resources needed and significant correlations, ordered by significance and correlation


Figure E.17: Size of component reused in this project and significant correlations

Figure E.17: Size of component reused in this project and significant correlations






Code reuse




Correlated with Correlation Degree of Freedom significance




Project Management 0.604 32 0.01
ProtoTyping 0.586 27 0.01
WhyNotUseOtherSE -0.421 28 0.05





Table E.12: Size of component reused in this project and significant correlations, ordered by significance and correlation


Figure E.18: Number of complete rewrites of this project and significant correlations

Figure E.18: Number of complete rewrites of this project and significant correlations






Rewrites




Correlated with Correlation Degree of Freedom significance




DeptSize 0.628 29 0.01
Time in Planning 0.573 31 0.01
TimeDevelopment 0.535 31 0.01
RationRose 0.537 17 0.05
Paper 0.476 28 0.05
Funding 0.443 25 0.05
SizeTotalPeople 0.442 31 0.05
SizePeakPeople 0.437 31 0.05
StartYear -0.409 31 0.05
GrantsValue 0.434 19 0.10
BlackBoxTesting 0.406 22 0.10
DesignWalkThrough 0.403 19 0.10





Table E.13: Number of complete rewrites of this project and significant correlations, ordered by significance and correlation


Figure E.19: Personal satisfaction with project outcome compared to other projects and
significant correlations

Figure E.19: Personal satisfaction with project outcome compared to other projects and significant correlations






Personal satisfaction




Correlated with Correlation Degree of Freedom significance




PersonalFrustration -0.731 32 0.01
TimeDevelopment -0.604 32 0.01
StartYear 0.598 32 0.01
Funding -0.566 26 0.01
SizePeakPeople -0.521 32 0.01
SizeTotalPeople -0.519 32 0.01
FutureUsageChange 0.509 28 0.01
DFD -0.423 28 0.05
MSProject -0.48 17 0.1





Table E.14: Personal satisfaction with project outcome compared to other projects and significant correlations, ordered by significance and correlation


Figure E.20: Number of spin-off projects form this one and significant correlations

Figure E.20: Number of spin-off projects form this one and significant correlations






spin-off Projects




Correlated with Correlation Degree of Freedom significance




HDBRpubs 0.699 30 0.01
StudentContinuedResearch 0.484 31 0.01
FountainSDLC 0.585 16 0.05
Paper 0.4 29 0.05
RationRose -0.473 16 0.1
Booch Notation 0.443 15 0.1





Table E.15: Number of spin-off projects form this one and significant correlations, ordered by significance and correlation


Figure E.21: Willingness to use more software engineering earlier and significant correlations

Figure E.21: Willingness to use more software engineering earlier and significant correlations






Would use more SE earlier




Correlated with Correlation Degree of Freedom significance




GrantsValue 0.657 20 0.01
Document After 0.624 32 0.01
StudentContinuedResearch 0.555 31 0.01
UserGroup 0.553 31 0.01
HDBRpubs 0.488 30 0.01
specification Language 0.488 20 0.05
FutureUsageChange 0.472 28 0.05
CodeReview 0.465 23 0.05
FunctionalSpec 0.444 23 0.05
Booch Notation 0.542 13 0.1
FountainSDLC 0.485 16 0.1
Interaction Diagram 0.41 21 0.1
Technical Reviews 0.406 19 0.1





Table E.16: Willingness to use more software engineering earlier and significant correlations, ordered by significance and correlation