Is effectiveness sufficient to choose an intervention?: Considering resource use in empirical software engineering

Context: Software Engineering (SE) research with a scientific foundation aims to influence SE practice to enable and sustain efficient delivery of high quality software. Goal: To improve the impact of SE research, one objective is to facilitate practitioners in choosing empirically vetted interventions. Method: Literature from evidence-based medicine, economic evaluations in SE and software economics is reviewed. Results: In empirical SE research, the emphasis has been on substantiating the claims about the benefits of proposed interventions. However, to support informed decision making by practitioners regarding technology adoption, we must present a business case for these interventions, which should comprise not just effectiveness, but also the evidence of cost-effectiveness. Conclusions: This paper highlights the need to investigate and report the resources required to adopt an intervention. It also provides some guidelines and examples to improve support for practitioners in decisions regarding technology adoption.