The Guide is a publication of the IEEE Computer Society (IEEE CS), and attempts to codify the collective knowledge, skills, techniques, methodologies, best practices, and experiences accumulated within the field of software engineering. Its goal is to bridge the divide between software engineering theory and practice. From the official announcement:
I’m thrilled to announce the release of the Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge v4.0 (SWEBOK).
For over 20 years, SWEBOK has been a trusted resource, helping software engineers navigate core knowledge and skills needed in the industry. With version 4.0, SWEBOK has evolved to reflect the latest software engineering practices.
Key highlights of SWEBOK v4.0:
- Three new knowledge areas (KA) have been added: software architecture, software security, and software engineering operations.
- Existing KAs have been updated with modern practices, including Agile and DevOps.
- Emerging technologies like AI, machine learning, and IoT are now incorporated across KAs.
- The guide has been restructured to improve clarity and usability, making it more practical for day-to-day application.
SWEBOK v4.0 is not just a guide—it’s a comprehensive reference for aligning your skills with the most current practices to advance your career in software engineering.
Sincerely,
Hironori Washizaki
IEEE Computer Society 2024 President-Elect, 2025 President
The SWEBOK is organized around knowledge areas (KAs), where a KA is an identified area of software engineering, described in terms of its generally accepted knowledge, such as its component processes, practices, inputs, outputs, tools and techniques. As the announcement alludes to, the SWEBOK defines 18 Knowledge Areas:
- Software Requirements
- Software Architecture
- Software Design
- Software Construction
- Software Testing
- Software Engineering Operations
- Software Maintenance
- Software Configuration Management
- Software Engineering Management
- Software Engineering Process
- Software Engineering Models and Methods
- Software Quality
- Software Security
- Software Engineering Professional Practice
- Software Engineering Economics
- Computing Foundations
- Mathematical Foundations
- Engineering Foundations
The Guide should not be confused with the SWEBOK itself, which exists in published literature emanating from both academia and industry. The Guide’s purpose is to describe the generally accepted portion of the body of knowledge, organize that portion, and provide references to more in-depth information regarding that KA. The Guide was established with the following objectives:
1. To promote a consistent view of software engineering worldwide
2. To specify the scope and clarify the place of software engineering with respect to other disciplines, such as computer science, project management, computer engineering and mathematics
3. To characterize the contents of the software engineering discipline
4. To provide topical access to the SWEBOK
5. To provide a foundation for curriculum development and for individual certification and licensing materials enable the reader to find reference material. The body of knowledge is found in the reference materials, not in the Guide.
You may be wondering, who is the intended audience for this guide? The IEEE CS answers this question:
- Public and Private Organizations: Those aiming to establish and promote a consistent understanding of software engineering within their operations, particularly when setting education and training standards, job classifications, and performance evaluation policies;
- Practicing Software Engineers: Individuals actively working in the field of software engineering who can use the Guide as a reference for best practices and professional development;
- Policymakers: Those involved in creating public policy related to software engineering, including the development of licensing rules and professional guidelines;
- Professional Societies: Organizations that define accreditation standards for university software engineering programs, as well as certification rules and guidelines for professionals in the field;
- Software Engineering Students: Individuals studying software engineering who can use the Guide to deepen their understanding of the discipline;
- Educators and Trainers: Those responsible for developing curricula and course content in software engineering programs
What one finds in each KA is several pages of summary and exposition defining the KA, followed by several pages of references to the articles that make up the SWEBOK for that KA. Trust me, it is well organized.
I highly recommend anyone interested in software engineering topics, a.k.a. readers of Basic Input/Output.com, to download and familiarize yourself with The Guide. You may not necessarily read the entire document cover to cover, (it's over 400 pages) but it is an excellent resource for an engineer wanting to do a deep dive on one of these particular KAs.
Resources
You can download the Guide to the SWEBOK at the following link: swebok-v4.pdf
Moreover, the IEEE CS is presenting a series of webinars for those seeking more information:
Register for an upcoming webinar to learn about what’s new in version 4.0. Please also refer to the flyer about the webinar and view the past video recordings and materials.
- 23 October 2024, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM UTC / 11:00 PM~01:00 AM JST
- 27 November 2024, 1:00 AM- 3:00 AM UTC / 10:00 AM~12:00 PM JST
- 9 December 2024, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM UTC / 11:00 PM~01:00 AM JST
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