Automated refactoring refers to the restructuring of source code (see refactoring) where a computer program does the structure modification, usually guided by user input. Many IDEs have automated refactoring capabilities that significantly reduce the possibility of error when restructuring code.
Questions using this tag will generally pertain to whether a given refactoring can be performed automatically, and if so, by which tool.
Refactoring refers to changing the structure of code while not changing its behavior. Automated refactoring indicates that computers do a significant amount of the refactoring work. This most often refers to the physical modification of code where certain correctness conditions are upheld. For example, when a class's public method is renamed, an automated refactoring tool will typically modify all client classes that call the renamed method to reflect the name change. Some automated refactoring tools may also indicate where code may be in need of refactoring (a.k.a "smell detection") or may suggest ways to fix the problematic code.
Some good places to get started:
Martin Fowler's refactoring page.
The Refactoring Research home page
Unleashing the Power of Refactoring - a description of automated refactoring principles as applied by Eclipse
