An Overview of the SWEBOK Guide

The Preface to the 2004 version of the Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge states:

The purpose of the Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge is to provide a consensually validated characterization of the bounds of the software engineering discipline and to provide a topical access to the Body of Knowledge supporting that discipline. (Abran et al. 2004, preface)

SWEBOK Guide Version 3

Version 3 of the SWEBOK Guide is being developed and will be completed in late 2011 or early 2012. Version 3 of the SWEBOK Guide contains 15 knowledge areas:

Software Requirements
Software Design
Software Construction
Software Testing
Software Engineering Methods
Software Maintenance
Software Configuration Management
Software Quality
Software Engineering Process
Software Engineering Management
Software Professional Practice
Software Economics
Computing Foundations
Mathematical Foundations
Engineering Foundations

The description of each knowledge area includes an introduction, a descriptive breakdown of topics and sub-topics, recommended references, references for further reading, and a list of standards most relevant to the knowledge area.

The similarities and differences between the SWEBOK and SEBoK knowledge areas are described in Software Engineering and Systems Engineering: Similarities and Differences

Related Disciplines

The SWEBOK Guide also contains a chapter on related disciplines, which include:

Computer Engineering
Business Management
Project Management
Quality Management
Systems Engineering

The related disciplines are those that share a boundary, and often a common intersection, with software engineering. The SWEBOK Guide does not characterize the knowledge of the related disciplines but rather indicates how those disciplines interact with the software engineering discipline.

References

Citations

Abran et al. 2004. SWEBOK: Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge. Piscataway, NJ: The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Inc.

Primary References

Abran et al. 2004. SWEBOK: Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge. Piscataway, NJ: The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Inc.