Identifying up-to-the-minute topics in software process improvement research

The development of standards and methods used in software process improvement has for many years been oriented to the identification of best practices, but recent trends show an increasing interest in new research topics, especially in the category of small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SME) and very small entities (VSE). What are these research areas, and what kind of relationship do they have with software process improvement? The goal of this study is to aggregate topics that are up-to-the-minute or very new openings in research from the viewpoint of SMEs and VSEs. Using a systematic mapping study and confining it to the last three years, 26 studies were selected for deeper analysis. Proposals for further studies are made by suggesting practically relevant research questions. Results indicate that software process improvement research remains a robust discipline with plenty of possibilities. The challenges can be met by co-operating with researchers from other disciplines.Peer reviewe