  Software traceability plays a critical role in software maintenance and
evolution. We conducted a systematic mapping study with six research questions
to understand the benefits, costs, and challenges of using traceability in
maintenance and evolution. We systematically selected, analyzed, and
synthesized 63 studies published between January 2000 and May 2020, and the
results show that: traceability supports 11 maintenance and evolution
activities, among which change management is the most frequently supported
activity; strong empirical evidence from industry is needed to validate the
impact of traceability on maintenance and evolution; easing the process of
change management is the main benefit of deploying traceability practices;
establishing and maintaining traceability links is the main cost of deploying
traceability practices; 13 approaches and 32 tools that support traceability in
maintenance and evolution were identified; improving the quality of
traceability links, the performance of using traceability approaches and tools
are the main traceability challenges in maintenance and evolution. The findings
of this study provide a comprehensive understanding of deploying traceability
practices in software maintenance and evolution phase, and can be used by
researchers for future directions and practitioners for making informed
decisions while using traceability in maintenance and evolution.
