Science AI Journal
Computer Science · Research topic

Open research questions in Software Engineering Techniques and Practices

128 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,006 Software Engineering Techniques and Practices papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Further research is needed to develop mitigation strategies for Agile challenges; Future studies should consider larger samples and more diverse methodologies; Research on the application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in Agile software development is needed

    Agile Software Development Challenges: Identification, Validation, and Prioritization Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process · 2026 · DOI

  • While many studies have focused on identifying Agile challenges, both in global and local contexts, there has been relatively limited effort in developing mitigation strategies or structured prioritization frameworks. The majority of prior work relied on qualitative assessments, without employing systematic or quantitative decision-making techniques.

    Agile Software Development Challenges: Identification, Validation, and Prioritization Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process · 2026 · DOI

  • The study does not provide a comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of GenAI augmentation in SE, - The study relies on a limited number of publications (147) that met the criteria, - The study does not discuss the potential biases in the training data or model

    A Research Roadmap for Augmenting Software Engineering Processes and Software Products with Generative AI · 2026 · DOI

  • Techniques to detect, mitigate, or 'debias' generated outputs in domain-specific engineering settings, - Techniques to merge multiple suggestion threads, version control for AI outputs, context-aware collaborative 'AI-augmented' tools, - Formalizing fallback strategies, sandboxing, and verification for AI-assisted process tools

    A Research Roadmap for Augmenting Software Engineering Processes and Software Products with Generative AI · 2026 · DOI

  • Grounded primarily in software engineering and information systems research and informed by established teamwork theory, the review offers a mechanism-based account of agile team effectiveness rather than a list of isolated factors, and surfaces two further gaps in the literature: the predominantly co-located origin of the underlying evidence base and inconsistency in how agile team performance is operationalized across studies.

    Determinants of agile team performance: a systematic literature review · 2026 · DOI

  • Many ASE tools are not 100% automated, but rather can be considered semi-automated. The use of AI tools, although not 100% accurate, reduces the cost and time required in performing different tasks in software development.

    Automated Software Engineering and ChatGPT · 2026 · DOI

  • Further evaluation and validation of the proposed SDLC model. Exploration of new computational intelligence techniques. Application of the proposed SDLC model in various domains.

    Smarter Software Engineering: Evaluating Classical vs Cognitive Lifecycles with Proposals · 2026 · DOI

  • Traditional SDLC models exhibit limitations. The need for a novel SDLC framework incorporating computational intelligence.

    Smarter Software Engineering: Evaluating Classical vs Cognitive Lifecycles with Proposals · 2026 · DOI

  • The challenge is to detect gaps in requirements coverage. The challenge is to improve the analysis of requirements and the identification of inconsistencies.

    Un enfoque basado en inteligencia artificial para la detección de brechas en la cobertura de requisitos en pruebas de software · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research can integrate techniques of Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) to improve the transparency and reliability of models.

    Un enfoque basado en inteligencia artificial para la detección de brechas en la cobertura de requisitos en pruebas de software · 2026 · DOI

  • Existing qualification frameworks do not adequately address operational, technical, and collaborative requirements. There is a significant research gap in developing structured pre-engagement mechanisms for assessing client readiness.

    Design Science Research Approach for Quantifying Client Readiness in Custom Software Projects (CRAM) · 2026 · DOI

  • Several limitations should be acknowledged. First, the evaluation of CRAM was conducted within a single organizational context, which may limit the generalizability of the findings across different industries or organizational structures. Second, the weighting mechanism relied primarily on expert-informed judgment and practical experience rather than formal statistical optimization techniques. Third, the evaluation dataset remains moderate in size relative to broader industrial applications. Despite these limitations, the study provides strong initial evidence supporting the feasibility and practical value of structured client readiness assessment in software development environments.

    Design Science Research Approach for Quantifying Client Readiness in Custom Software Projects (CRAM) · 2026 · DOI

  • Agile software development projects have become the dominant mode of IT project delivery globally, yet the relationship between AI-enabled project monitoring tools and agile team performance remains theoretically underdeveloped and empirically underexplored.

    From Tools to Teams: How AI-Enabled Project Monitoring Shapes Team Performance in Agile Software Development Projects · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a critical gap in the accreditation of laboratories evaluating software products. The application of Proficiency Testing to software requires a fundamental shift from product-centric evaluation to competency-centric assessment.

    Innovating proficiency testing in software: a digital process with LLM-integrated support tool and automated indicators · 2026 · DOI

  • Future investigations should focus on the development of process templates for standardized testing scenarios and the evaluation of the framework across diverse software domains, such as embedded systems (where hard- ware constraints add complexity to PT) versus web applications (where rapid deployment cycles demand high-frequency testing).

    Innovating proficiency testing in software: a digital process with LLM-integrated support tool and automated indicators · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies should investigate the applicability of the theory of emerging testing strategies in different contexts. Research should explore the role of conversation and collaboration in shaping testing practices.

    On the emergence of testing strategies: A socio-technical grounded theory · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of understanding about why developers do or do not test. Prior research has focused on the technical aspects of software testing, neglecting the social and organizational factors.

    On the emergence of testing strategies: A socio-technical grounded theory · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a gap in the literature on the adoption of Extreme Programming methodology in developing special autonomy fund applications. There is a need to evaluate the effectiveness of Extreme Programming methodology in developing applications that require flexibility and adaptability.

    EVALUASI ADOPSI AGILE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGYSTUDI KASUS: PEMBANGUNAN APLIKASI DANA OTSUS · 2026 · DOI

  • The adoption and evaluation of modern methodologies (Agile, DevOps) in resource-constrained software organizations remains under-explored. While integration challenges are documented in developed-country contexts, there is no evidence of how small organizations with limited economic investment and time can practically implement these approaches.

    Overcoming Challenges in Agile and DevOps Integration: A Qualitative Study · 2026

  • The need for a comprehensive guide for the Certified Tester Foundation Level - Agile Tester certification program. The importance of understanding Agile testing methodologies in software development and testing.

    iSQI iSQI CTFL-AT PDF · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for IT to understand the organizational 'why' - The importance of collaboration between development and operations teams

    PeopleCert PeopleCert DevOps-Foundation PDF · 2026 · DOI

  • The Testing phase is a critical phase in software project time management. The Waterfall approach has limitations in anticipating changes and problems that arise in the final stages of development. The study identifies the need for structured and controlled management of agent banking applications.

    Development of SDLC Framework for Financial Technology Project Management in Banking Institutions · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of empirical comparisons involving hybrid approaches within regulated banking environments. Prior research has not fully explored the impact of SDLC methods on project time performance in IT application development.

    Development of SDLC Framework for Financial Technology Project Management in Banking Institutions · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to compare the effectiveness of Agile and Waterfall methodologies in IT project management. The Ukrainian software development framework is a relevant context for this study.

    Economic Efficiency of Agile Methodologies in IT Project Management: A Comparative Structural Analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • The study extends prior ERP research by specifying a structured competency to critical success factor to success pathway that clarifies the role of consultants and helps explain mixed findings regarding training, testing, and teamwork in ERP implementations.

    Consultant competencies and ERP project success · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Software Engineering Techniques and Practices

Most recent work

Find a gap in your own Software Engineering Techniques and Practices sub-topic

This page shows what the Software Engineering Techniques and Practices literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, run the guided finder — it searches the gap library on demand and checks candidates against 250M+ OpenAlex works.

Open the Research Gap Finder →

Related topics in Computer Science

Online Learning and Analytics
1,106 open questions
AI in Service Interactions
861 open questions
Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture
645 open questions
Teaching and Learning Programming
623 open questions
Digital literacy in education
617 open questions
Music Technology and Sound Studies
576 open questions
Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts
496 open questions
Topic Modeling
476 open questions
128 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,006 Software Engineering Techniques and Practices papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

Tools for your next paper

Gaps & Literature SearchFind open questions in any field — 120,000+ open gaps mined from our own library.Pre-CheckIs your paper ready? A Tier 1–5 acceptance probability in seconds.Journal FinderA ranked shortlist of target journals from a 17,500-venue index.Duplicate Publication CheckerCheck prior-publication & salami-slicing risk across 8 sources.Citation GeneratorFreeA DOI or title → APA, MLA, Vancouver, Chicago, BibTeX, RIS. No signup.Graphical Abstract MakerFreeTurn your findings into a colorblind-safe graphical abstract.

Compare the category — Honest roundups of the AI research tools, ours listed alongside the alternatives.

Command palette

Jump anywhere, run any action.