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Author

Félix García

Bio: Félix García is an academic researcher from University of Castilla–La Mancha. The author has contributed to research in topics: Software development & Software development process. The author has an hindex of 34, co-authored 187 publications receiving 3946 citations.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A systematic mapping of the field of gamification in software engineering is carried out in an attempt to characterize the state of the art of this field identifying gaps and opportunities for further research.
Abstract: Context Gamification seeks for improvement of the user’s engagement, motivation, and performance when carrying out a certain task, by means of incorporating game mechanics and elements, thus making that task more attractive Much research work has studied the application of gamification in software engineering for increasing the engagement and results of developers Objective The objective of this paper is to carry out a systematic mapping of the field of gamification in software engineering in an attempt to characterize the state of the art of this field identifying gaps and opportunities for further research Method We carried out a systematic mapping with a view to finding the primary studies in the existing literature, which were later classified and analyzed according to four criteria: the software process area addressed, the gamification elements used, the type of research method followed, and the type of forum in which they were published A subjective evaluation of the studies was also carried out to evaluate them in terms of methodology, empirical evidence, integration with the organization, and replicability Results As a result of the systematic mapping we found 29 primary studies, published between January 2011 and June 2014 Most of them focus on software development, and to a lesser extent, requirements, project management, and other support areas In the main, they consider very simple gamification mechanics such as points and badges, and few provide empirical evidence of the impact of gamification Conclusions Existing research in the field is quite preliminary, and more research effort analyzing the impact of gamification in SE would be needed Future research work should look at other game mechanics in addition to the basic ones and should tackle software process areas that have not been fully studied, such as requirements, project management, maintenance, or testing Most studies share a lack of methodological support that would make their proposals replicable in other settings The integration of gamification with an organization’s existing tools is also an important challenge that needs to be taken up in this field

312 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A systematic review of published case studies on the SPI efforts carried out in SMEs is presented to analyse the existing approaches towards SPI and to provide an up-to-date state of the art, from which innovative research activities can be thought of and planned.
Abstract: Small and medium enterprises are a very important cog in the gears of the world economy. The software industry in most countries is composed of an industrial scheme that is made up mainly of small and medium software enterprises--SMEs. To strengthen these types of organizations, efficient Software Engineering practices are needed--practices which have been adapted to their size and type of business. Over the last two decades, the Software Engineering community has expressed special interest in software process improvement (SPI) in an effort to increase software product quality, as well as the productivity of software development. However, there is a widespread tendency to make a point of stressing that the success of SPI is only possible for large companies. In this article, a systematic review of published case studies on the SPI efforts carried out in SMEs is presented. Its objective is to analyse the existing approaches towards SPI which focus on SMEs and which report a case study carried out in industry. A further objective is that of discussing the significant issues related to this area of knowledge, and to provide an up-to-date state of the art, from which innovative research activities can be thought of and planned.

299 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A basic software measurement ontology is introduced, that aims at contributing to the harmonization of the different software measurement proposals and standards, by providing a coherent set of common concepts used in software measurement.
Abstract: Although software measurement plays an increasingly important role in Software Engineering, there is no consensus yet on many of the concepts and terminology used in this field. Even worse, vocabulary conflicts and inconsistencies can be frequently found amongst the many sources and references commonly used by software measurement researchers and practitioners. This article presents an analysis of the current situation, and provides a comparison framework that can be used to identify and address the discrepancies, gaps, and terminology conflicts that current software measurement proposals present. A basic software measurement ontology is introduced, that aims at contributing to the harmonization of the different software measurement proposals and standards, by providing a coherent set of common concepts used in software measurement. The ontology is also aligned with the metrology vocabulary used in other more mature measurement engineering disciplines.

208 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Competisoft provides the Latin American software industry with a reference framework for improvement and certification of its software processes, including the MoProSoft model that four Mexican software companies applied to increase their processes' capacity level.
Abstract: Competisoft provides the Latin American software industry with a reference framework for improvement and certification of its software processes.The project is based on proven solutions, including the MoProSoft model that four Mexican software companies applied to increase their processes' capacity level.

112 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A set of metrics for software process models are introduced and how these can be used as maintainability indicators are discussed and the results of a family of experiments are reported that assess relationships between the structural properties, as measured by the defined metrics, of the process models and their maintainability.

99 citations


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TL;DR: Deming's theory of management based on the 14 Points for Management is described in Out of the Crisis, originally published in 1982 as mentioned in this paper, where he explains the principles of management transformation and how to apply them.
Abstract: According to W. Edwards Deming, American companies require nothing less than a transformation of management style and of governmental relations with industry. In Out of the Crisis, originally published in 1982, Deming offers a theory of management based on his famous 14 Points for Management. Management's failure to plan for the future, he claims, brings about loss of market, which brings about loss of jobs. Management must be judged not only by the quarterly dividend, but by innovative plans to stay in business, protect investment, ensure future dividends, and provide more jobs through improved product and service. In simple, direct language, he explains the principles of management transformation and how to apply them.

9,241 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The conceptual structure underlying agile scholarship is delineated by performing an analysis of authors who have made notable contributions to the field and urging agile researchers to embrace a theory-based approach in their scholarship.

944 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: SLRs appear to have gone past the stage of being used solely by innovators but cannot yet be considered a main stream software engineering research methodology, such as often failing to assess primary study quality.
Abstract: Context: In a previous study, we reported on a systematic literature review (SLR), based on a manual search of 13 journals and conferences undertaken in the period 1st January 2004 to 30th June 2007. Objective: The aim of this on-going research is to provide an annotated catalogue of SLRs available to software engineering researchers and practitioners. This study updates our previous study using a broad automated search. Method: We performed a broad automated search to find SLRs published in the time period 1st January 2004 to 30th June 2008. We contrast the number, quality and source of these SLRs with SLRs found in the original study. Results: Our broad search found an additional 35 SLRs corresponding to 33 unique studies. Of these papers, 17 appeared relevant to the undergraduate educational curriculum and 12 appeared of possible interest to practitioners. The number of SLRs being published is increasing. The quality of papers in conferences and workshops has improved as more researchers use SLR guidelines. Conclusion: SLRs appear to have gone past the stage of being used solely by innovators but cannot yet be considered a main stream software engineering research methodology. They are addressing a wide range of topics but still have limitations, such as often failing to assess primary study quality.

836 citations

01 Nov 2011
TL;DR: The Communication program emphasizes theory, research, and application to examine the ways humans communicate, verbally and non-verbally, across a variety of levels and contexts, to understand ourselves, the authors' media, their relationships, their culture and how these things connect.
Abstract: The Communication program emphasizes theory, research, and application to examine the ways humans communicate, verbally and non-verbally, across a variety of levels and contexts. This is particularly important as communication shapes our ideas and values, gives rise to our politics, consumption and socialization, and helps to define our identities and realities. Its power and potential is inestimable. From the briefest of text messages to the grandest of public declarations, we indeed live within communication and invite you to join us in appreciating its increasing importance in contemporary society. From Twitter and reality television to family relationships and workplace dynamics, communication is about understanding ourselves, our media, our relationships, our culture and how these things connect.

822 citations