Research
Research interests, Current research, Student projects, Future projects, Funded projects
Research Interests
My research interests are centred on the processes whereby software intensive systems are designed, implemented and managed. I am particularly interested in researching methods and techniques for supporting the work of software project managers and software developers in relation to software process improvement, software project planning and management of software development projects. My research to date has centred around five distinct areas within the overall theme of software project and process management:
 | Software Process Modelling |
| Software Process Improvement |
| Software Project Management |
| Software Project Knowledge Elicitation and Usage |
| Tools for Project and Process Management |
Current Research Projects
Currently I am working on a number of research projects:
| Software Process Improvement in SME's |
| Technology selection by software engineers |
| Expert Knowledge and Software Team Performance |
| Software Project Management Team Dynamics |
Student Research Projects
Current Ph.D. student projects are:
| Shuib Bin Basri - A study of Team Organisation and Tacit Knowledge |
Current M.Sc. students projects are:
| Robert Dee - Analytic Process Hierarchy |
| Catherine Sweeney - Telecoms IT infrastructure |
Previous Ph.D. students were:
| Dr. Gerry Coleman - Investigating Software Process in Practice: A Grounded Theory Perspective, PhD, 2006 |
| Dr. Sharon Ryan - An Investigation of the Acquisition and Sharing of Tacit Knowledge in Software Development Teams, PhD, 2005 |
Previous M.Sc. students were:
| Catherine O'Brien - COTS Selection by SMEs, MSc, 2006 |
| Bairbre Baxter - How does the web development process influence usability? - an analysis of SMEs providing MIS applications for the web, MSc, 2006 |
| Billie-Jean Byrne - An Implementation Framework For Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) In The Financial Services Industry, M.Sc. 2005 |
| Bridget McCarthy - Investigating Project Management Team Dynamics, M.Sc. 2004 |
| Judith Lanigan - Exploring CRM software in the Public Sector, M.Sc. 2004 |
| Andrew Goulding - Merging Agile Development Methodologies - The Case for DSDM and XP, M.Sc. 2004 |
| Ciara Brangan - Mathematical Software and Children with Special Educational Needs, M.Sc. 2004 |
| Helen Watchorn - Analysing the Reusability of SCORM Learning Objects in a Localisation Context, M.Sc. 2003 |
| Elaine Connolly - Issues of Developmental Appropriateness in Web site Design for Young Children, MSc, 2001. |
| Davnet Neary, Integration of Computers into the Career Guidance Classroom, MSc, 2000. |
| Mairead Bates, A Comparison of teaching Guitar Lessons for Beginners using a Multimedia Approach with a Conventional Approach, MSc, 2000. |
| Aideen O'Shaughnessy, Use Of Classnet As An Educational Tool To Enhance Learning, MSc, 2000. |
| Ita Howe, Assessing the use of GUI application builders as an introduction to Programming, MSc, 2000. |
| Eamonn Gaffney, The development of an agent based critquing system architecture for a project management tool: Prompter, MSc, 1999 (with Prof. T. Moynihan). |
| Roy Atkinson, The Application of Multiple Choice Questions in a Computer Environments as a Method of Learning rather than of Assessment, MSc, 1999. |
| Tom Casey, Collaborative Learning and Computing in the Irish Secondary Education System (An Investigation into the WISDEN Collaborative Learning Environment), MSc, 1998. |
Future Projects - for potential MSc and PhD students
Potential research topics in the area of software engineering include (but are not limited to) supporting the work of software project managers and software developers by the provision of methodologies and support systems such as process and project management tools and techniques. I am interested in supervising postgraduate students in researching methods and techniques for supporting the work of software project managers and software developers in relation to software process improvement, software project planning and management of software development projects. Potential M.Sc. and Ph.D. projects would include the following:
| SPI for SME's Development, tailoring and application of software process models for small and medium-sized software companies. Potential areas within this theme include both the development of exploratory models of software process and cost-benefit analysis of adoption, adaptation and use of improved processes in small companies. | ||||||
| Light Software Process Methods for Internet Development Firms The development of Internet-based applications (E-commerce systems, web portals, etc.) is subject to different conditions than that of conventional software systems. Such idiosyncrasies include: usability, rapid development lifecycle and short time to market. Traditional SPI methodologies are perceived as being inadequate for dealing with the development of Internet based applications. Accordingly there is a identified need for a overarching SPI framework for use by Internet-based developers. This project would investigate this identified deficiency in field of SPI and develop an SPI framework which is orientated directly towards the needs of Internet based application development in the context of 'young' (start-up) small indigenous software companies, which is capable of being 'tailorable' to the particular stage of organisational development of small 'young' software companies. | ||||||
| Web Development Process and Usability Successful Web development requires knowledge and skills in many areas, in particular HCI design and usability engineering. I am interested in software development aspects of web systems development and in particular the relationship between the development processes used and the resulting software quality and usability attributes. I would be interesting in hearing from potential postgraduate students who would be interested in investigating the relationships between process, quality and usability of web systems, in an industrial context. | ||||||
| Other potential M.Sc. projects could include:
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| Lero research opportunities
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Funded Projects
Previous I have been involved in 2 major EU funded projects:
| IPSSI, Improving Professional Software Skills in Industry, EU 4th Framework, 1998 - 2000 |
| P3, Project and Process Prompter, EU 4th Framework, 1996 - 1999 |
Ph.D. Research
I completed a Ph.D. in City University (London) in 2000. This research was an investigation into the role of intelligent support techniques in software project management support systems, specifically the use of Intelligent Agents as the basis for implementing Expert Systems and Expert Critiquing Systems and how these be incorporated into software project planning systems. My Ph.D. thesis described the design and development of a multi-agent based architecture for an intelligent assistant system for use in software project planning, which took account of the special requirements for distributed multi-platform software development projects.
My PhD Thesis is available here.
M.Sc. Research
In 1995 I completed an M.Sc. in the area of Software Process Modelling. My research investigated the role of process support environments in the planning, managing and executing of a software development process. My thesis addressed the technical issues involved in specifying and mechanically supporting software development processes and is related to the view of processes as "software", i.e. as a specifiable and executable entity.
Page last updated 09 August 2007