Returning to the study of software process issues, it is likely that empirical interpretive research will be a necessary form for those areas in which social activities make up a significant component of the process problem type. This would be the case for the identified areas of requirements specification, project management, strategic direction, system enhancement, and user relationships (the five most problemmatic areas). This is not to sya that critical research may not contribute to these and the other problem areas, but critical research gains are more difficult to predict because of their dependence on positive insights, usually from individuals. Other areas such as re-engineering decisions, probably lend themselves more to positivist research because of the relatively simple decision goals involved which have a high technical componentand lower social component.