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A Second Replicated Quantitative Analysis of Fault Distributions in Complex Software Systems

Galinac Grbac, Tihana ; Runeson, Per LU orcid and Huljenic, Darko (2013) In IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering 39(4). p.462-476
Abstract
Background. Software engineering is in search for general principles that apply across contexts, for example to help guide software quality assurance. Fenton and Ohlsson presented such observations on fault distributions, which have been replicated once. Objectives.We intend to replicate their study a second time in a new environment. Method.We conducted a close replication, collecting defect data from five consecutive releases of a large software system in the telecommunications domain, and conducted the same analysis as in the original study. Results. The replication confirms results on un-evenly distributed faults over modules, and that fault proneness distribution persist over test phases. Size measures are not useful as predictors of... (More)
Background. Software engineering is in search for general principles that apply across contexts, for example to help guide software quality assurance. Fenton and Ohlsson presented such observations on fault distributions, which have been replicated once. Objectives.We intend to replicate their study a second time in a new environment. Method.We conducted a close replication, collecting defect data from five consecutive releases of a large software system in the telecommunications domain, and conducted the same analysis as in the original study. Results. The replication confirms results on un-evenly distributed faults over modules, and that fault proneness distribution persist over test phases. Size measures are not useful as predictors of fault proneness, while fault densities are of the same order of magnitude across releases and contexts. Conclusions. This replication confirms that the un-even distribution of defects motivates un-even distribution of quality assurance efforts, although predictors for such distribution of efforts are not sufficiently precise. (Less)
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; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering
volume
39
issue
4
pages
462 - 476
publisher
IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
external identifiers
  • wos:000316618800002
  • scopus:84875705027
ISSN
0098-5589
DOI
10.1109/TSE.2012.46
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3526620c-2084-404b-9238-7c3875ad8b06 (old id 3242814)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:54:45
date last changed
2022-04-14 20:18:45
@article{3526620c-2084-404b-9238-7c3875ad8b06,
  abstract     = {{Background. Software engineering is in search for general principles that apply across contexts, for example to help guide software quality assurance. Fenton and Ohlsson presented such observations on fault distributions, which have been replicated once. Objectives.We intend to replicate their study a second time in a new environment. Method.We conducted a close replication, collecting defect data from five consecutive releases of a large software system in the telecommunications domain, and conducted the same analysis as in the original study. Results. The replication confirms results on un-evenly distributed faults over modules, and that fault proneness distribution persist over test phases. Size measures are not useful as predictors of fault proneness, while fault densities are of the same order of magnitude across releases and contexts. Conclusions. This replication confirms that the un-even distribution of defects motivates un-even distribution of quality assurance efforts, although predictors for such distribution of efforts are not sufficiently precise.}},
  author       = {{Galinac Grbac, Tihana and Runeson, Per and Huljenic, Darko}},
  issn         = {{0098-5589}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{462--476}},
  publisher    = {{IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.}},
  series       = {{IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering}},
  title        = {{A Second Replicated Quantitative Analysis of Fault Distributions in Complex Software Systems}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/4238181/3972380.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1109/TSE.2012.46}},
  volume       = {{39}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}