How do Technical Debt Payment Practices Relate to the Effects of the Presence of Debt Items in Software Projects?

Context: Knowing the effects of technical debt (TD) can support software development teams in the prioritization of TD items to pay off. However, little is known about the relations between the effects of TD and TD payment practices. Having this knowledge can provide valuable information for decision making about which payment practice can be applied given the presence of specific effects of TD. Aims: To investigate, from the point of view of software practitioners, (i) which TD payment practices have been used when certain effects of the presence of debt are felt in software projects and (ii) the reasons for not paying debt items despite the effects they are causing to the project. Method: We analyze quantitatively and qualitatively data collected from a survey with 432 practitioners across four countries. Results: Among the identified relations, the practice "code refactoring" is commonly used to pay debt items off when the effects "delivery delay" and "rework" are felt in software projects. On the other hand, when practitioners face the TD effects "low external quality" and "delivery delay", they commonly justify the nonpayment of the debt items indicating the need of "focusing on short term goals". Conclusion: We organize the relationship between TD effects, and payment practices and reasons for not eliminating debt items. All this information is structured in an alluvial diagram, which can facilitate the visualization of the identified relations.