Research that studies software developers can have a larger impact when its results generalize to other contexts. However, it is often unclear if, how, and why such results generalize. In this position paper, we aim to motivate software engineering researchers to generalize their findings. To meet this aim, we firstly enumerate the dimensions in which software engineering generalizations are made, and secondly, propose several practical ways researchers can make their work more generalizable. In meeting our aim, we hope to help the software engineering research community maximize their impact outside of software engineering.
展开▼
