CESI 2013 - 1st International Workshop on Conducting Empirical Studies in Industry (CESI 2013)

Workshop Topics
Recognising important issues in practice that would trigger the need for conducting empirical studies in actual projects
Formulating relevant investigative questions, responses to which would benefit the purpose of the study
Improving communication between researchers and practitioners (e.g., better communication channels)
Obtaining access to the data, systems, project documentation, processes and so forth, as necessary
Dealing with threats (e.g., generalizability) in designing and conducting empirical studies in industry
Designing and conducting a family of studies
Interpreting results in industrial contexts
Impact of industrial settings on the design of, and on conducting, case studies, action research, studies in the field, exploratory studies, longitudinal studies, etc.:
- Reconciling researchers' scientific need (e.g., for data and information) with practitioners' business concerns (e.g., for privacy and preservation of reputation)
- Bringing on board various stakeholders in the company (and getting their time and commitment) in support of the studies to be conducted
- Others: dealing with missing data, conducting ethnographic studies, ensuring researcher neutrality
- Ensuring that trustworthy results are put to use in industry projects
Designing and conducting surveys:
- Adopting strategies for attracting respondents
- Creating an environment of trust so as to obtain honest data and information
- Implementing quality control on responses