Understanding the significance of Software Development Communities of Practice: A systematic review

Abstract

Communities of Practice (CoPs) are groups of people who voluntarily share their knowledge and skills with others through continuous interaction. In the software development domain, CoPs are groups of software developers who share knowledge, experiences, ideas and best practices in coding, irrespective of the programming language. Knowledge sharing among software developers is very difficult. Considering the complexity of software development, most software projects succeed if the teams form Software Development Communities of Practice (SD CoPs). The study identifies the platforms used for knowledge sharing, the benefits of knowledge sharing and recognises the challenges faced by software developers. The study utilised the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) technique to search, identify and filter articles over a 5-year period. The articles reviewed were drawn from accredited journals published between 2019 and 2024 and indexed in academic databases. The emergent themes included collaboration, effective communication, and professional development of the software developers. The study established that SD CoPs bring diverse skills set and expertise coupled with effective problem solving, a critical skill expected from every software developer. Code repositories, code review tools and social media platforms are used for effective knowledge sharing in these communities. These SD CoPs facilitate peer code reviews, an important process that improves code quality and promotes adherence to international coding standards.

Transdisciplinary contribution: The article contributes to the practical implementation of CoPs, particularly focusing on effective knowledge sharing and collaboration within organisations. Knowledge sharing is a crucial factor that drives innovation in organisations.