Data Analysis Tools Affect Outcomes of Eye-Tracking Studies

This research article investigates the impact of data analysis tools on the outcomes of eye-tracking studies within the field of software engineering. The study has three primary objectives: to characterize the landscape of analysis tools used for eye-tracking data, to analyze the justifications provided by authors for their choice of tools, and to determine whether the choice of analysis tool influences study results. A systematic mapping study was conducted to identify various eye-tracking studies and the tools employed, revealing that many studies do not disclose the tools used. The findings indicate that the choice of analysis tool significantly affects the results and conclusions drawn from the studies. The article emphasizes the lack of standardization in eye-tracking data analysis, which poses a risk to the comparability and reproducibility of research findings. Recommendations are provided for improving reporting guidelines to enhance the reliability of eye-tracking studies in software engineering.