A Vision on Open Science for the Evolution of Software Engineering Research and Practice
Edson OliveiraJr, Fernanda Madeiral, Alcemir Rodrigues Santos, Christina von Flach, Sergio Soares
TL;DR
The paper addresses the cultural and practical barriers to adopting Open Science in Software Engineering by proposing a holistic framework that treats Open Science as a first-class requirement. It outlines interconnected building blocks—recognition and reward, publication and artifact evaluation, empirical software engineering practices, infrastructure-as-code for research software, education and training, and Open Science tooling—designed to enhance transparency, reproducibility, and social impact. Key contributions include valuing research artifacts, integrating artifact evaluation into reviews, advancing reproducibility and sustainability, promoting registered reports, and outlining educational and tooling roadmaps. The work aims to shift SE culture toward openness, enabling rigorous, reusable, and verifiable research with practical benefits for scholars, practitioners, and society.
Abstract
Open Science aims to foster openness and collaboration in research, leading to more significant scientific and social impact. However, practicing Open Science comes with several challenges and is currently not properly rewarded. In this paper, we share our vision for addressing those challenges through a conceptual framework that connects essential building blocks for a change in the Software Engineering community, both culturally and technically. The idea behind this framework is that Open Science is treated as a first-class requirement for better Software Engineering research, practice, recognition, and relevant social impact. There is a long road for us, as a community, to truly embrace and gain from the benefits of Open Science. Nevertheless, we shed light on the directions for promoting the necessary culture shift and empowering the Software Engineering community.