A Study of Documentation in Agile Software Projects

Abstract

Although agile methods have become established in software engineering, documentation in projects is rare. Employing a theoretical model of information and documentation, our paper analyzes documentation practices in agile software projects in their entirety. Our analysis uses method triangulation: partly-structured interviews, observation and online survey. We demonstrate the correlation between satisfaction with information searches and the amount of documentation that exists for most types of information as an example. Also digital searches demand nearly twice as much time as documentation. In the conclusion, we provide recommendations on the use of supporting methods or tools to shape agile documentation.