The 2nd Workshop on Agile Practice & Research: A Summary and Call For Research

2026-05-20

AI Summary

This study addresses the persistent theory–practice gaps in agile software development—specifically theoretical, temporal, and translational disconnects—by convening the Second Workshop on Agile Practice and Research, which brought together academic and industry stakeholders. Through qualitative methods including structured small-group collaboration, reflective discussions, and synthesis of outputs, the work investigates the root causes of these gaps. Building on these insights, it proposes four propositions to enhance intersection mechanisms and distills them into three research imperatives centered on open science, theoretical rigor, and value orientation. The study concludes with four practical recommendations: improving scholarly communication, aligning with industry needs, incentivizing sustained collaboration, and integrating educational practices—collectively advancing agile research toward greater transparency, methodological rigor, and practical relevance.

Abstract

Agile software development has been shaped by the interplay between academic research and industrial practice for over two decades, yet notable gaps persist between both domains. This paper focuses on three research-practice gaps: the theory gap, the time gap, and the transfer gap. To address these, the 2nd Agile Practice & Research Workshop was held at the International Conference on Agile Software Development (XP) 2026 in São Paulo, Brazil, bringing researchers and practitioners together to identify root causes and develop joint solutions. Building on two preceding sessions in which contributions of participants had been presented, participants engaged in a structured collaborative session, working in small groups on one of the three gaps and reflecting on possible causes and remedies. The organizers synthesized the results into four propositions for improving the research-practice intersection: (1) improving scientific communication, (2) aligning research more closely with emerging industrial needs, (3) creating stronger incentives for sustained collaboration, and (4) integrating educational approaches into research practice. From these, three calls for research were formulated: (a) broader adoption of open science practices for transparency, reproducibility, and cumulative evidence; (b) higher empirical quality standards through stronger theoretical grounding and rigorous design; and (c) more explicit, value-oriented contributions that clearly articulate their practical and scientific relevance. The paper offers both a summary of the workshop and a call to strengthen research-practice collaboration.

Problem

• research-practice gap
• agile software development
• theory gap
• time gap
• transfer gap

Innovation

• research-practice gap
• agile software development
• open science
• empirical rigor
• collaborative workshop