Advancing the Study of Human Values in Software Engineering

This paper makes the case for the study of human values in Software Engineering (SE) as a highly important emerging area of research with significant societal implications. We offer two key principles in order to advance this research agenda: firstly, the significance of values as distinguished from, though connected to, ethics; and secondly, the need for clear theoretical frameworks for values study. We provide the emerging findings from an initial study (N=12 participants) using a Values Q-Sort tool that was designed in accordance with these two principles. We conclude with discussion around lessons learnt, ongoing challenges, and future directions.