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Experiences in Using the V-Model as a Framework for Applied Doctoral Research

Rodrigo Falcão, Andreas Jedlitschka, Frank Elberzhager, Dieter Rombach

TL;DR

This chapter documents how the V-Model can structure and teach applied doctoral research in empirical software engineering. It presents a five-stage empirical V-Model (practical problem, scientific problem, solution, internal validation, external validation) and discusses its flexible usage patterns, checkpoints, and amalgamation with various empirical strategies. Drawing on nearly twenty years of PhD theses at RPTU Kaiserslautern in collaboration with Fraunhofer IESE, the authors extract usage patterns, discuss the role of empirical methods, and share lessons learned for educators and researchers. The work highlights how the framework supports topic identification, problem framing, solution development, and both internal and external validation, while noting areas for improvement such as problem definition clarity and external-partner validation guidance. Overall, the chapter argues that the V-Model provides a robust, adaptable scaffold for applied ESE research that enhances rigor, traceability, and educational value, with practical implications for teaching and conducting empirical software engineering research.

Abstract

The pervasive role played by software in virtually all industries has fostered ever-increasing development of applied research in software engineering. In this chapter, we contribute our experience in using the V-Model as a framework for teaching how to conduct applied research in empirical software engineering. The foundational idea of using the V-Model is presented, and guidance for using it to frame the research is provided. Furthermore, we show how the framework has been instantiated throughout nearly two decades of PhD theses done at the University of Kaiserslautern (RPTU Kaiserslautern) in partnership with Fraunhofer IESE, including the most frequent usage patterns, how the different empirical methods fit into the framework, and the lessons we have learned from this experience.

Experiences in Using the V-Model as a Framework for Applied Doctoral Research

TL;DR

This chapter documents how the V-Model can structure and teach applied doctoral research in empirical software engineering. It presents a five-stage empirical V-Model (practical problem, scientific problem, solution, internal validation, external validation) and discusses its flexible usage patterns, checkpoints, and amalgamation with various empirical strategies. Drawing on nearly twenty years of PhD theses at RPTU Kaiserslautern in collaboration with Fraunhofer IESE, the authors extract usage patterns, discuss the role of empirical methods, and share lessons learned for educators and researchers. The work highlights how the framework supports topic identification, problem framing, solution development, and both internal and external validation, while noting areas for improvement such as problem definition clarity and external-partner validation guidance. Overall, the chapter argues that the V-Model provides a robust, adaptable scaffold for applied ESE research that enhances rigor, traceability, and educational value, with practical implications for teaching and conducting empirical software engineering research.

Abstract

The pervasive role played by software in virtually all industries has fostered ever-increasing development of applied research in software engineering. In this chapter, we contribute our experience in using the V-Model as a framework for teaching how to conduct applied research in empirical software engineering. The foundational idea of using the V-Model is presented, and guidance for using it to frame the research is provided. Furthermore, we show how the framework has been instantiated throughout nearly two decades of PhD theses done at the University of Kaiserslautern (RPTU Kaiserslautern) in partnership with Fraunhofer IESE, including the most frequent usage patterns, how the different empirical methods fit into the framework, and the lessons we have learned from this experience.
Paper Structure (33 sections, 5 figures)

This paper contains 33 sections, 5 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Background
  3. The origins of the V-Model
  4. Bringing the applied research approach to the classroom
  5. Tip: Focusing on principles
  6. The V-Model framing approach
  7. Tip: Pre-requisites
  8. The practical problem
  9. What is the practical problem faced by practitioners?
  10. Empiricism for investigating practical problems
  11. The scientific problem
  12. How does the state of the art address the problem?
  13. Empiricism for investigating scientific problems
  14. The solution
  15. What is the research goal and what solution strategy can be used to achieve it?
  16. ...and 18 more sections

Figures (5)

  • Figure 1: A variant of the original V-Model being used to frame a traditional software development lifecycle (adapted from mathur2010advancements).
  • Figure 2: The meta-model of the empirical V-Model.
  • Figure 3: Typical variations in the execution flow of the V-Model.
  • Figure 4: Summary of the typical empirical strategies used in the stages of the V-Model framework.
  • Figure 5: Mapping between the steps of the QIP and the V-Model research meta-model.