An empirical characterization of the accuracy of software process elicitation

Abstract

Process models are often the basis for demonstrating compliance and recommending improvement in software engineering organizations. A descriptive model is a type of process model describing the human activities in software development that actually occur. The purpose of a descriptive model is to provide a baseline for further process improvement and analysis. Ideally, a descriptive model provides an explicit representation. However, if the descriptive model does not represent how a process is actually performed, subsequent recommendations for improvement may be based upon information that is depicted in the model but that does not actually take place. Similarly, a descriptive model may omit important information that is centrally relevant for an organization's process improvement goals. The accuracy of software process elicitation is an important measure and is the degree a descriptive model reflects an actual process in the real world. This study, informed by a synthesis of arguments from related literature, characterizes the accuracy of software process elicitation as the perception of error for a descriptive model. We collected data from 48 users in professional training settings using a between subjects design. The results suggest that users in the treatment group perceived significantly higher error.