Templates and tariffs — tools for empirical studies

This paper discusses the roles that devices which we term templates and tariffs can play in controlling empirical studies of programmers. Having been involved in a number of empirical investigations of programming, some based on observational studies of large groups and others based on protocols of individual subjects, we briefly consider problems which are inherent in these various methodologies and consider how in our recent work, we have attempted to ameliorate some of these problems using templates and a number of tariffs. We outline the nature and mode of using these methods and suggest that they can play important roles in giving us a better picture of program construction.