{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7128778575","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2602.11435","title":"A Grounded Theory of Debugging in Professional Software Engineering Practice","display_name":"A Grounded Theory of Debugging in Professional Software Engineering Practice","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-02-11","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7128778575","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2602.11435"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"pmh:doi:10.48550/arxiv.2602.11435","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":null,"pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4406922384","display_name":"Open MIND","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Article"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5125939577","display_name":"Haolin Li","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Li, Haolin","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5044646652","display_name":"Michael Coblenz","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9369-4069"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Coblenz, Michael","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":2,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10260","display_name":"Software Engineering Research","score":0.6273000240325928,"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":0.6273000240325928,"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/T10430","display_name":"Software Engineering Techniques and Practices","score":0.20759999752044678,"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/T10533","display_name":"Teaching and Learning Programming","score":0.04800000041723251,"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/debugging","display_name":"Debugging","score":0.8935999870300293},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/grounded-theory","display_name":"Grounded theory","score":0.7458000183105469},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/algorithmic-program-debugging","display_name":"Algorithmic program debugging","score":0.6442999839782715},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/codebase","display_name":"Codebase","score":0.454800009727478},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/tracing","display_name":"Tracing","score":0.4546999931335449},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/process","display_name":"Process (computing)","score":0.44780001044273376},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-development","display_name":"Software development","score":0.38659998774528503},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software","display_name":"Software","score":0.3653999865055084}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C168065819","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q845566","display_name":"Debugging","level":2,"score":0.8935999870300293},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C156325361","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1152864","display_name":"Grounded theory","level":3,"score":0.7458000183105469},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115903868","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80993","display_name":"Software engineering","level":1,"score":0.6593000292778015},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.6445000171661377},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C136388014","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17084976","display_name":"Algorithmic program debugging","level":3,"score":0.6442999839782715},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C51929080","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2425187","display_name":"Codebase","level":3,"score":0.454800009727478},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C138673069","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q322229","display_name":"Tracing","level":2,"score":0.4546999931335449},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C98045186","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205663","display_name":"Process (computing)","level":2,"score":0.44780001044273376},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199360897","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9143","display_name":"Programming language","level":1,"score":0.43950000405311584},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C529173508","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q638608","display_name":"Software development","level":3,"score":0.38659998774528503},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777904410","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7397","display_name":"Software","level":2,"score":0.3653999865055084},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2982912361","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1851867","display_name":"Mental model","level":2,"score":0.33489999175071716},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C107457646","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q207434","display_name":"Human\u2013computer interaction","level":1,"score":0.3287999927997589},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780801425","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5164392","display_name":"Construct (python library)","level":2,"score":0.2802000045776367},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C1009929","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179550","display_name":"Software bug","level":3,"score":0.2800000011920929},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C180152950","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2904257","display_name":"Software development process","level":4,"score":0.27709999680519104},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C149091818","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2429814","display_name":"Software system","level":3,"score":0.27399998903274536},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777561058","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2652119","display_name":"Program comprehension","level":4,"score":0.2702000141143799},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C143587482","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1543216","display_name":"Iterative and incremental development","level":2,"score":0.26930001378059387},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C39890963","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1702721","display_name":"Personal software process","level":5,"score":0.25999999046325684},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C202105479","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q265013","display_name":"Software evolution","level":5,"score":0.25940001010894775}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"pmh:doi:10.48550/arxiv.2602.11435","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":null,"pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4406922384","display_name":"Open MIND","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Article"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2602.11435","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2602.11435","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"pmh:doi:10.48550/arxiv.2602.11435","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":null,"pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4406922384","display_name":"Open MIND","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Debugging":[0],"is":[1],"a":[2,35,39,71,80,136,141],"central":[3],"yet":[4],"complex":[5],"activity":[6],"in":[7,29,58,76],"software":[8,161],"engineering.":[9],"Prior":[10],"studies":[11],"have":[12],"documented":[13],"debugging":[14,56,69,146],"strategies":[15],"and":[16,48,97,102,108,117,160],"tool":[17,158],"usage,":[18],"but":[19],"little":[20],"theory":[21,41,143],"explains":[22],"how":[23],"experienced":[24],"developers":[25,47],"reason":[26],"about":[27],"bugs":[28],"large,":[30],"real-world":[31],"codebases.":[32],"We":[33,43,67,139],"conducted":[34],"qualitative":[36],"study":[37],"using":[38],"grounded":[40,142],"approach.":[42],"observed":[44],"seven":[45],"professional":[46,50,145],"five":[49],"live-coding":[51],"streamers":[52],"working":[53],"on":[54],"17":[55],"tasks":[57],"their":[59,129],"own":[60],"codebases,":[61],"capturing":[62],"diverse":[63],"contexts":[64],"of":[65,83,106,144,152],"debugging.":[66],"theorize":[68],"as":[70],"structured,":[72],"iterative":[73],"diagnostic":[74],"process":[75],"which":[77],"programmers":[78],"update":[79],"mental":[81,137],"model":[82],"the":[84,149,153],"system":[85],"to":[86,113,124,133],"guide":[87],"information":[88,92],"gathering.":[89],"Developers":[90,119],"gather":[91,121],"by":[93],"alternating":[94],"between":[95],"navigation":[96],"execution":[98],"strategies,":[99],"employing":[100],"forward":[101],"backward":[103],"tracing":[104],"modes":[105],"reasoning":[107],"adapting":[109],"these":[110],"approaches":[111],"according":[112],"codebase":[114],"context,":[115],"complexity,":[116],"familiarity.":[118],"also":[120],"external":[122],"resources":[123],"complement":[125],"code-based":[126],"evidence,":[127],"with":[128,155],"experience":[130],"enabling":[131],"them":[132],"systematically":[134],"construct":[135],"model.":[138],"contribute":[140],"that":[147],"surfaces":[148],"human-centered":[150],"dimensions":[151],"practice,":[154],"implications":[156],"for":[157],"design":[159],"engineering":[162],"education.":[163]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-06-11T09:08:48.828518","created_date":"2026-02-14T00:00:00"}
