UML Diagrams in Software Engineering Research: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Software engineering is a discipline utilizing Unified Modelling Language (UML) diagrams, which are accepted as a standard to depict object-oriented design models. UML diagrams make it easier to identify the requirements and scopes of systems and applications by providing visual models. In this manner, this study aims to systematically review the literature on UML diagram utilization in software engineering research. A comprehensive review was conducted over the last two decades, spanning from 2000 to 2019. Among several papers, 128 were selected and examined. The main findings showed that UML diagrams were mostly used for the purpose of design and modeling, and class diagrams were the most commonly used ones.