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.