Thirteen Knights and the Seven-headed Dragon: an Interdisciplinary Software Engineering Framework Nikolay Mehandjiev and Paul Layzell Department of Computation UMIST, UK n.mehandjiev@umist.ac.uk Pearl Brereton Dept. of Computer Science Keele University, UK o.p.brereton@cs.keele.ac.uk Grace Lewis SEI, CMU USA glewis@sei.cmu.edu Mike Mannion Glasgow Caledonian University UK M.A.G.Mannion@gcal.ac.uk François Coallier École de Technologie Supérieure (ETS) Canada fcoallier@ele.etsmtl.ca Abstract This paper summarizes the findings of the STEP2002 workshop on Interdisciplinary Software Engineering, which took place on the 6 th and 7 th of October 2002 in Montreal, Canada. The workshop considered the future of software engineering as an interdisciplinary activity by identifying ideas, models and techniques which are already used in cognate disciplines, and are deemed applicable to software engineering, with the aim of breaking down rigid barriers between disciplines, representations and processes. 1. The Workshop The STEP2002 workshop on Interdisciplinary Software Engineering considered the future of software engineering as an interdisciplinary activity by identifying ideas, models and techniques which are already used in cognate disciplines, and are deemed applicable to software engineering. The need for the workshop arose out of recognition that the role of software has become a critical element in all aspects of modern life supporting wealth creation and deployment in products and processes designed to improve the quality of life. The demands placed on the software engineering community, such as productivity, flexibility, robustness and quality, have increased dramatically. Whilst incremental approaches to improving the software engineering process are delivering significant benefits in the short and medium term, the software engineering community has realized that it should, in the best spirit of scientific enquiry, also take a broader and possibly more radical view about future software engineering techniques, processes and tools [1]. 2. The Findings The workshop identified seven main groups of issues related to contemporary software engineering practice and research: 1) Information explosion; 2) Growing demands in terms of functionality, quality, and time to market; 3) Need for adaptable software systems; 4) Value for money considerations; 5) Procurement decisions; 6) Risk identification and management; and 7) System integration. Thirteen cognate disciplines were then identified which could contribute ideas, models or techniques to address the seven groups of issues. These disciplines were broadly classified in five groups: disciplines dealing with deterministic systems, those dealing with systems where humans are an important part of the system; those concerned with business systems, society-focused disciplines and finally, a group of sciences including mathematics and computer science. A framework for classifying the ideas, models and techniques which were believed influential in changing Software Engineering into a holistic discipline was then created as a table. The rows in the table contained the seven main groups of issues, whilst the columns contained the disciplines and their groupings. Each idea, model or a technique was then positioned in cells laying at the intersection of each discipline and the group of issues which they address. To complete the framework,