Communication Skills in Software Engineering: A Multivocal Review

• Dannilo Rabelo UFPA http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4047-2657
• Deisy Peres UFPE http://orcid.org/0009-0007-6552-8593
• Emmanuel Dias UFPA http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0921-8992
• Thayssa Rocha UFPA http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8026-4003
• Enne Rebeca de Freitas UFPA http://orcid.org/0009-0006-2244-0754
• Kiev Gama UFPE http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1508-6196
• Gustavo Pinto UFPA http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4900-6369

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/washes.2026.22120

Resumo

Communication skills are increasingly recognized as essential in Software Engineering, yet discussions about them remain fragmented across academic and gray literature. This fragmentation is problematic because it limits a broader understanding of how communication is valued, taught, and applied in both educational and professional settings. Through a multivocal literature review, we found strong convergence between academic and gray sources in treating communication as a core competency, while also identifying differences in emphasis, with academia focusing on conceptualization and empirical evidence and gray literature stressing practical consequences and emerging industry practices.

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