2004 SWEBOK Guide

The IEEE Computer Society formally approved and published the Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOK) in 2004; a Trial Version had been published in 2001. Under the Computer Society's leadership, the Software Engineering Coordinating Committee began refining the definition of “generally accepted” knowledge about software engineering in 1997. The goal was to further define software engineering as a profession, as described in a more detailed overview.

Contributors worldwide worked on the 2004 SWEBOK Guide, with the help of many software practitioners.

Work on the 2004 SWEBOK Guide occurred in three phases: Strawman, Stoneman, and Ironman. The Industrial Advisory Board of the SWEBOK Guide recommended the Ironman results for publication in on 6 February 2004. The IEEE Computer Society Board of Governors approved publication later that month.