Our goal is to develop an expert-determined ranking of code snippets A small, self-contained Java method from real-world open-source projects. based on their comprehensibility How easy a snippet is to understand, as judged by experienced developers. .
To reduce bias and improve reliability, we invited multiple experts — including you — to complete the same task set. We follow a structured protocol inspired by the Delphi method, which aggregates expert consensus through multiple rounds.
The current task consists of three main phases and involves evaluating a total of 8 code snippets. Your total time commitment is approximately 55 minutes. Additional tasks may be introduced in future rounds—see the What Happens After You Submit Your Responses section for more details.
| Phase | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Review each code snippet and provide a short summary along with your assessment of how understandable it is. | 20 mins |
| Phase 2 | Rank the snippets from most to least comprehensible. You can group snippets that feel equally understandable. | 15 mins |
| Phase 3 | Explain your reasoning behind the rankings. Describe why snippets were grouped and how you compared them. | 15 mins |
| Submission | Review and submit your answers. You may revise and resubmit anytime before the deadline. | 5 mins |
Code Comprehensibility: How easy a snippet is to understand, as judged by experienced developers. This includes clarity of structure, naming, and logic. There is no single standard — your expert perspective defines it.
Code Snippet: A small, self-contained Java method drawn from real-world open-source projects. All 8 snippets are independent and carefully selected.