Yes, they do: http://www.construx.com/10x_Software_Development/Origins_of_...

Eric's article is a prime example of what's wrong with software development writing: lots of opinion with a few anecdotes and analogies tossed in for good measure, but absolutely no reference to any scientific study to justify any of it.

I'm not trying to pick on Eric, but it really bothers me the extent to which we listen to, discuss and ultimately adopt the unsourced opinions of our peers. How much of what we do is done simply because someone like Martin Fowler told us to? Why do we so seldom ask, Where's the evidence?