Eliciting a Sensemaking Process from Verbal Protocols of Reverse Engineers

Authors

Adam R. Bryant, 711th Human Performance Wing
Robert F. Mills, Air Force Institute of TechnologyFollow
Gilbert L. Peterson, Air Force Institute of TechnologyFollow
Michael R. Grimaila, Air Force Institute of TechnologyFollow

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

8-2012

Abstract

A process of sensemaking in reverse engineering was elicited from verbal protocols of reverse engineers as they investigated the assembly code of executable programs. Four participants were observed during task performance and verbal protocols were collected and analyzed from two of the participants to determine their problem-solving states and characterize likely transitions between those states. From this analysis, a high-level process of sensemaking is described which represents hypothesis generation and information-seeking behaviors in reverse engineering within a framework of goal-directed planning. Future work in validation and application of the process is discussed.

Comments

AFIT Scholar furnishes a draft of this conference paper.

DTIC accession number: ADA576945

Funding note: The Sensors Directorate [AFRL] at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base supported this research.

Source Publication

Proceedings of the 34th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, CogSci 2012

Recommended Citation

Bryant, A., Mills, R. F., Peterson, G. L., & Grimaila, M. R. (2012). Eliciting a Sensemaking Process from Verbal Protocols of Reverse Engineers. Building Bridges Across Cognitive Sciences Around the World - Proceedings of the 34th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, CogSci 2012, 1386–1391.