Hidden Populations in Software Engineering: Challenges, Lessons Learned, and Opportunities

Abstract: The growing emphasis on studying equity, diversity, and inclusion within software engineering has amplified the need to explore hidden populations within this field. Exploring hidden populations becomes important to obtain invaluable insights into the experiences, challenges, and perspectives of underrepresented groups in software engineering and, therefore, devise strategies to make the software industry more diverse. However, studying these hidden populations presents multifaceted challenges, including the complexities associated with identifying and engaging participants due to their marginalized status. In this paper, we discuss our experiences and lessons learned while conducting multiple studies involving hidden populations in software engineering. We emphasize the importance of recognizing and addressing these challenges within the software engineering research community to foster a more inclusive and comprehensive understanding of diverse populations of software professionals.