5W+1H pattern: A perspective of systematic mapping studies and a case study on cloud software testing

Abstract

A common type of study used by researchers to map out the landscape of a research topic is known as mapping study. Such a study typically begins with an exploratory search on the possible ideas of the research topic, which is often done in an unsystematic manner. Hence, the activity of formulating research questions in mapping studies is ill-defined, rendering it difficult for researchers who are new to the topic. There is a need to guide them kicking off a mapping study of an unfamiliar domain. This paper proposes a 5W+1H pattern to help investigators systematically examine a generic set of dimensions in a mapping study toward the formulation of research questions before identifying, reading, and analyzing sufficient articles of the topic. We have validated the feasibility of our proposal by conducting a case study of a mapping study on cloud software testing, that is, software testing for and on cloud computing platforms. The case study reveals that the 5W+1H pattern can lead investigators to define a set of systematic, generic, and complementary research questions, enabling them to kick off and expedite the mapping study process in a well-defined manner. We also share our experiences and lessons learned from our case study on the use of the 5W+1H pattern in mapping studies.

Creating Smart Energy Cities for Sustainability through Project Implementation: A Case Study of Bolzano, Italy

“…The primary indicators assessed include (1) "why" establishes the rationale for the initiative and which dimensions it contributes, e.g., environment, social, economic, and governance; (2) "what" details the main planning domains of the intervention of SEC solutions, e.g., buildings, transportation, ICT and integrated infrastructures, and energy and technology; (3) "how" describes how the plan was implemented using various tools and mechanisms, e.g., governance, planning mechanisms, monitoring and evaluation, funding, and context and process; (4) "who" includes information about the institution and its partners responsible for conducting the initiative, e.g., decisionmakers, experts, utilities, end-users, community organisations, financial institutions, and the private sector; (5) "where" includes information on the scale of the development, e.g., individuals, buildings, neighbourhoods, districts, cities, transportation; (6) "when" describes the time horizon for the implementation of the projects, e.g., short, medium, and long-term. The Kipling approach was selected, as it provides a systematic approach to problemsolving and project planning for information gathering and deconstructing the literature [33]. Content analysis is a widely utilised scientific approach for the empirical and structured analysis of documents and communications [34], which is then examined, classified, and summarised.…”

Testing MapReduce programs: A systematic mapping study

“…This work formulates the research questions based on the 5W+1H model,() also known as the Kipling method . This method is used in other systematic reviews of software engineering and answers the questions: why, what, how, by whom, where, and when. The research questions of this mapping study are as follows: RQ1Why is testing performed in MapReduce programs? RQ2What testing is performed in MapReduce programs? RQ3How is testing performed in MapReduce programs? RQ4By whom, where, and when is testing performed in MapReduce programs? …”

A Systematic Mapping Study of Empirical Studies on Software Cloud Testing Methods

“…A systematic mapping study is reported in two research papers, [6] [12], using the 5W+1H model for reporting systematic reviews. Studies are categorized based on research questions, authors and countries, research objectives, research ideas, patterns of papers on different types of cloud service and publication type, immediacy of article citation, and article inter-relevance.…”