# Qualitative software engineering research -- reflections and guidelines

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1712.08341 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1712.08341/

## Key facts

- Cited by 4 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 22 Dec 2017.

## Built on by (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [Walking the Tightrope of LLMs for Software Development: A Practitioners' Perspective](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.06428/) (2025)
- [Prompt Engineering Strategies for LLM-based Qualitative Coding of Psychological Safety in Software Engineering Communities: A Controlled Empirical Study](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.07422/) (2026)
- [Inter-event Interval Microscopy for Event Cameras](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.04924/) (2025)
- [To Vibe Research or Not to Vibe Research? Generative AI in Qualitative Research](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.00922/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Researchers are increasingly recognizing the importance of human aspects in software development. Since qualitative methods are used to explore human behavior in-depth, we believe that studies using such methods will become more common. Existing qualitative software engineering guidelines do not cover the full breadth of qualitative methods and the knowledge on how to use them like in social sciences. The purpose of this study was to extend the software engineering community's current body of knowledge regarding available qualitative methods and their quality assurance frameworks, and to provide recommendations and guidelines for their use. With the support of an epistemological argument and a survey of the literature, we suggest that future research would benefit from (1) utilizing a broader set of research methods, (2) more strongly emphasizing reflexivity, and (3) employing qualitative guidelines and quality criteria. We present an overview of three qualitative methods commonly used in social sciences but rarely seen in software engineering research, namely interpretative phenomenological analysis, narrative analysis, and discourse analysis. Furthermore, we discuss the meaning of reflexivity in relation to the software engineering context and suggest means of fostering it. Our paper will help software engineering researchers better select and then guide the application of a broader set of qualitative research methods.