I actually haven't heard of many rigorous, well-constructed scientific experiments that have produced conclusive scientific literature that indicates the benefits of TDD.
The whole of the industry suffers from this. I know they are vastly dissimilar as software doesn't have the issues that tangible real-world stuff has, but you'd never see someone proposing a bridge being built on the principals read in some book or a paper that doesn't compare any other theory. I dread the day we have rigorous IT standards as much as I can't wait for it. I've heard it is possible with Ada and lots of concern, money, and talent, but I wonder if we'll ever see that elsewhere. I guess as a whole the tools we rely upon are getting better, but I'm not convinced the methodologies haven't been just more perpetual motion machines.
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I was thinking specifically of things like the http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/groups/ese/nagappan_tdd.... when I wrote that sentence, but I guess I also consider books as part of what I'm saying here.
The whole of the industry suffers from this. I know they are vastly dissimilar as software doesn't have the issues that tangible real-world stuff has, but you'd never see someone proposing a bridge being built on the principals read in some book or a paper that doesn't compare any other theory. I dread the day we have rigorous IT standards as much as I can't wait for it. I've heard it is possible with Ada and lots of concern, money, and talent, but I wonder if we'll ever see that elsewhere. I guess as a whole the tools we rely upon are getting better, but I'm not convinced the methodologies haven't been just more perpetual motion machines.