Negotiating the Boundary of Software Work through Artifacts and Conversation (slides:) Marisa Cohn Ph.D. Student, Department of Informatics Advisor: Susan Elliott Sim Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences University of California, Irvine

Abstract

Documentation of software requirements is a major concern among software developers and software researchers. Agile Software Development denotes a different relationship to documentation, one that warrants investigation. While a common perception is that Agile lacks rigorous documentation, in fact documentary artifacts abound in Agile development practice, though they are used in unexpected ways. We conducted qualitative fieldwork at two Agile software development companies to investigate the role of artifacts in the software development work as well as the relationship between these artifacts and Software Process. Our study examines the role of work artifacts and conversations in negotiating between models of Software Process and the contingencies of work in practice. Findings are presented which suggest a new understanding of the relationship between artifacts and Software Process. We argue that Software Process is a generative system that emerges out of an interplay between Software Process models and enactments, shaped by artifacts and conversation. Through this interplay the boundary of Software work is collectively and individually negotiated by members of the software development team as they forge new modes of participation in software work.

 

Bio

Marisa Leavitt Cohn is a PhD student working with Susan Elliott Sim and Kavita Philip. She received her Bachelors in Anthropology and conducts interdisciplinary qualitative research in Critical Code Studies, Science and Technology Studies, and Social Informatics. Her research focuses on technological authorship in Computer Science and Software Engineering. She has conducted qualitative fieldwork at software development companies and in MMORPGs. Her current research project examines ICT development methodologies including Agile, Open Source, and User-Centered Design. She is particularly interested in the ethics of programming practices and the nature of participation in software work. Critical to her work is an understanding of the software code artifact, its role in collaborative work and within larger publics of technological engagement.