{"id":"https://openalex.org/W1933429470","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/esem.2015.7321186","title":"An Empirical Study of Design Degradation: How Software Projects Get Worse over Time","display_name":"An Empirical Study of Design Degradation: How Software Projects Get Worse over Time","publication_year":2015,"publication_date":"2015-10-01","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W1933429470","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/esem.2015.7321186","mag":"1933429470"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1109/esem.2015.7321186","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/esem.2015.7321186","pdf_url":null,"source":null,"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"2015 ACM/IEEE International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement (ESEM)","raw_type":"proceedings-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":false,"oa_status":"closed","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5078115464","display_name":"Iftekhar Ahmed","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8221-5352"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I131249849","display_name":"Oregon State University","ror":"https://ror.org/00ysfqy60","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I131249849"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Iftekhar Ahmed","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of EECS, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of EECS, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I131249849"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5047352054","display_name":"Umme Ayda Mannan","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4926-319X"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I131249849","display_name":"Oregon State University","ror":"https://ror.org/00ysfqy60","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I131249849"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Umme Ayda Mannan","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of EECS, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of EECS, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I131249849"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5050311714","display_name":"Rahul Gopinath","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9953-0930"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I131249849","display_name":"Oregon State University","ror":"https://ror.org/00ysfqy60","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I131249849"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Rahul Gopinath","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of EECS, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of EECS, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I131249849"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5112052330","display_name":"Carlos Jensen","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I131249849","display_name":"Oregon State University","ror":"https://ror.org/00ysfqy60","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I131249849"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Carlos Jensen","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of EECS, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of EECS, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I131249849"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":4,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5078115464"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I131249849"],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":8.2963,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":35,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.97244489,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":90,"max":99},"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":"1","last_page":"10"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10260","display_name":"Software Engineering Research","score":1.0,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10260","display_name":"Software Engineering Research","score":1.0,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12423","display_name":"Software Reliability and Analysis Research","score":0.9976000189781189,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1712","display_name":"Software"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11675","display_name":"Open Source Software Innovations","score":0.9975000023841858,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1706","display_name":"Computer Science Applications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/code-refactoring","display_name":"Code refactoring","score":0.8601844310760498},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/computer-science","display_name":"Computer science","score":0.6292038559913635},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software","display_name":"Software","score":0.5384997725486755},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/context","display_name":"Context (archaeology)","score":0.5281141996383667},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-engineering","display_name":"Software engineering","score":0.5174470543861389},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-design","display_name":"Software design","score":0.5168648362159729},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/code-smell","display_name":"Code smell","score":0.4682988226413727},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-quality","display_name":"Software quality","score":0.45588621497154236},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/set","display_name":"Set (abstract data type)","score":0.42623764276504517},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-development","display_name":"Software development","score":0.40653061866760254},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/systems-engineering","display_name":"Systems engineering","score":0.32831236720085144},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/engineering","display_name":"Engineering","score":0.23610851168632507},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/programming-language","display_name":"Programming language","score":0.09772604703903198}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C152752567","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q116877","display_name":"Code refactoring","level":3,"score":0.8601844310760498},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.6292038559913635},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777904410","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7397","display_name":"Software","level":2,"score":0.5384997725486755},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779343474","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3109175","display_name":"Context (archaeology)","level":2,"score":0.5281141996383667},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115903868","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80993","display_name":"Software engineering","level":1,"score":0.5174470543861389},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C52913732","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q857102","display_name":"Software design","level":4,"score":0.5168648362159729},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C133237599","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2295111","display_name":"Code smell","level":5,"score":0.4682988226413727},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C117447612","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1412670","display_name":"Software quality","level":4,"score":0.45588621497154236},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C177264268","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1514741","display_name":"Set (abstract data type)","level":2,"score":0.42623764276504517},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C529173508","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q638608","display_name":"Software development","level":3,"score":0.40653061866760254},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C201995342","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q682496","display_name":"Systems engineering","level":1,"score":0.32831236720085144},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C127413603","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11023","display_name":"Engineering","level":0,"score":0.23610851168632507},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199360897","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9143","display_name":"Programming language","level":1,"score":0.09772604703903198},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C86803240","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q420","display_name":"Biology","level":0,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C151730666","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7205","display_name":"Paleontology","level":1,"score":0.0}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1109/esem.2015.7321186","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/esem.2015.7321186","pdf_url":null,"source":null,"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"2015 ACM/IEEE International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement (ESEM)","raw_type":"proceedings-article"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[{"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/9","score":0.47999998927116394,"display_name":"Industry, innovation and infrastructure"}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":49,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W1342665","https://openalex.org/W157294606","https://openalex.org/W1507539036","https://openalex.org/W1511637839","https://openalex.org/W1523392525","https://openalex.org/W1660390307","https://openalex.org/W1709483371","https://openalex.org/W1968074466","https://openalex.org/W1974655094","https://openalex.org/W1999993570","https://openalex.org/W2000689886","https://openalex.org/W2007267642","https://openalex.org/W2008164297","https://openalex.org/W2014418158","https://openalex.org/W2019386815","https://openalex.org/W2027203221","https://openalex.org/W2063068372","https://openalex.org/W2064873664","https://openalex.org/W2068321882","https://openalex.org/W2072876092","https://openalex.org/W2076804800","https://openalex.org/W2078393527","https://openalex.org/W2083714857","https://openalex.org/W2096832718","https://openalex.org/W2099535882","https://openalex.org/W2107294940","https://openalex.org/W2111303489","https://openalex.org/W2112778116","https://openalex.org/W2130509252","https://openalex.org/W2135036872","https://openalex.org/W2139074146","https://openalex.org/W2141069252","https://openalex.org/W2144788252","https://openalex.org/W2153365511","https://openalex.org/W2153887189","https://openalex.org/W2159682002","https://openalex.org/W2160182024","https://openalex.org/W2160506632","https://openalex.org/W2160538683","https://openalex.org/W2167804243","https://openalex.org/W2216905672","https://openalex.org/W2998678832","https://openalex.org/W3214074647","https://openalex.org/W4233410239","https://openalex.org/W6600047312","https://openalex.org/W6630554224","https://openalex.org/W6630630429","https://openalex.org/W6637635274","https://openalex.org/W7008292637"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W2088986462","https://openalex.org/W2780981476","https://openalex.org/W2955607951","https://openalex.org/W3166181464","https://openalex.org/W2187939805","https://openalex.org/W125071098","https://openalex.org/W2517910349","https://openalex.org/W2946499381","https://openalex.org/W3153400467","https://openalex.org/W4229981338"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Context:":[0],"Software":[1],"decay":[2,28],"is":[3,75,170,179],"a":[4,73,108,119,138,145],"key":[5],"concern":[6],"for":[7],"large,":[8],"long-lived":[9],"software":[10,32,81],"projects.":[11,63],"Systems":[12],"degrade":[13],"over":[14,192],"time":[15,78],"as":[16,53,128],"design":[17,27,57,85,91,105,162,186],"and":[18,21,29,47,84,121,131],"implementation":[19],"compromises":[20],"exceptions":[22],"pile":[23],"up.":[24],"Goal:":[25],"Quantify":[26],"understand":[30],"how":[31],"projects":[33,129],"deal":[34],"with":[35],"this":[36],"issue.":[37],"Method:":[38],"We":[39,88,101,182],"conducted":[40],"an":[41,54],"empirical":[42],"study":[43],"on":[44],"the":[45,70,115,132,174],"presence":[46],"evolution":[48],"of":[49,56,72,98,111,118,140,148,177],"code":[50,133],"smells,":[51],"used":[52],"indicator":[55],"degradation":[58],"in":[59,96,114],"220":[60],"open":[61,149],"source":[62,150],"Results:":[64],"The":[65],"best":[66],"approach":[67],"to":[68,76,124,137,160,189],"maintain":[69],"quality":[71],"project":[74],"spend":[77],"reducing":[79],"both":[80],"defects":[82],"(bugs)":[83],"issues":[86,92,106,163,187],"(refactoring).":[87],"found":[89,103],"that":[90,104,122,155,185],"are":[93],"frequently":[94],"ignored":[95],"favor":[97],"fixing":[99],"defects.":[100],"also":[102,183],"have":[107],"higher":[109],"chance":[110],"being":[112],"fixed":[113],"early":[116],"stages":[117],"project,":[120],"efforts":[123],"correct":[125],"these":[126],"stall":[127],"mature":[130],"base":[134],"grows,":[135],"leading":[136],"build-up":[139],"problems.":[141],"Conclusions:":[142],"From":[143],"studying":[144],"large":[146],"set":[147],"projects,":[151],"our":[152],"research":[153],"suggests":[154],"while":[156],"core":[157],"contributors":[158],"tend":[159,188],"fix":[161],"more":[164],"often":[165],"than":[166],"non-core":[167],"contributors,":[168],"there":[169],"no":[171],"difference":[172],"once":[173],"relative":[175],"quantity":[176],"commits":[178],"accounted":[180],"for.":[181],"show":[184],"build":[190],"up":[191],"time.":[193]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2024,"cited_by_count":3},{"year":2023,"cited_by_count":4},{"year":2022,"cited_by_count":2},{"year":2021,"cited_by_count":8},{"year":2020,"cited_by_count":6},{"year":2019,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2018,"cited_by_count":4},{"year":2017,"cited_by_count":3},{"year":2016,"cited_by_count":3}],"updated_date":"2026-03-25T13:04:00.132906","created_date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00"}