Systematic Mapping on Software Architecture Selection
Description
The files provided are organized into two main directories, reflecting the different stages of the systematic mapping process. The Export directory contains the raw files originally exported from the scientific digital libraries used in the primary search, prior to the application of any filtering, refinement, or analytical procedures. These files preserve the initial state of the retrieved records and ensure transparency and traceability of the data collection phase. The Mapped Studies directory includes the artifacts produced and used throughout the selection, analysis, and synthesis stages of the systematic mapping, as defined in the methodological protocol. Specifically: * finalResult.xls: contains the 86 final primary studies included in the systematic mapping after the application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria and the execution of the snowballing procedure. * resultsReadyToAnalisys.xls: includes the 257 studies remaining after the initial filtering stage, which were subsequently subjected to content analysis and final selection. * selectedResults.xls: presents the 64 studies selected during the initial phase of the systematic mapping, prior to the application of the snowballing technique. * selectedSnowballing.xls: contains the 22 additional studies identified through snowballing after content analysis and scope validation. * semanticAnalysisMappedStudies.docx: documents the results of the AI-assisted content analysis, employed to support the categorization and interpretation of the selected studies. * snowballingResults.xls: includes the studies initially considered during the snowballing phase, which were subsequently assessed and filtered according to the criteria defined in the protocol. Together, these files support the reproducibility, auditability, and transparency of the systematic mapping study, enabling other researchers to understand, replicate, or extend the study based on the original and intermediate data made available.
Files
Steps to reproduce
The reproduction of this systematic mapping study can be achieved by following the structured methodological protocol described in the associated article. First, a search string based on the PCC approach (Population, Concept, Context) was defined and applied to the title and abstract fields of the IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and Scopus databases, with complementary support from Google Scholar. The retrieved records were then filtered according to explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria, taking into account temporal scope, research area, study scope, and publication type. Following the initial selection phase, a content analysis of the remaining studies was conducted, with AI-assisted support for summarization and evidence identification, while maintaining human validation for final decisions. Subsequently, one iteration of backward and forward snowballing was performed on the selected studies to expand the final corpus. Data extraction, classification, and synthesis were carried out according to a predefined protocol, enabling categorization of studies by architectural selection strategies, architectural types, input artifacts, and levels of automation. The files available in this repository document all intermediate and final stages of the process, ensuring full traceability and enabling other researchers to replicate the study.