The last paper of my PhD thesis (6 years after my defense) published in a JCR Q1 (IF 2018: 4.098 - Q1)

Specialization in the iStar2.0 Language

The paper summarising my PhD thesis proposal has been published officialy today, six years and five months after my thesis defense. 

"Nunca es tarde si la dicha es buena" (Spanish saying for "never is too late if it is something good")

 

Link to the Open Access paper

Paper accepted at the 13th International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement (ESEM 2019)

Practical experiences and value of applying software analytics for managing quality

Anna Maria Vollmer, Silverio Martínez-Fernández, Alessandra Bagnato, Jari Partanen, Pilar Rodriguez Gonzalez and Lidia Lopez

Abstract. Background: Despite the growth of usage of software analytics platforms in industry, little empirical evidence is available about the challenges that practitioners face and the value that these platforms give. Aim: The goal of this research is to explore the benefits from using a software analytics platform for practitioners managing quality. Method: In a technology transfer project, a software analytics platform was incrementally developed between academic and industrial partners to address their software quality problems. This platform was used in two pilot projects. This paper focuses on exploring the value provided by a software analytics platform in these pilot projects. Results: Practitioners have emphasized main benefits including the semiautomated functionality of creating quality requirements, the improvement of product quality and process performance, and an

increased awareness of product readiness. They have especially perceived the semi-automated functionality of creating quality requirements out of the software analytics platform as the

benefit with the highest impact and most novel value for them. Conclusions: Practice can benefit from modern software analytics platforms, especially if they have time to adopt it carefully and

integrate it into their quality assurance activities.

My first PhD examination panel

Quality Assurance methodology for system requirement definition

by Karla Gomez Sotelo

On July 5th, I'm going to participate in my first PhD examination panel in the Laboratoire d'Analyse et d'Architecture des Systèmes (Tolouse, France).

Paper published in the IEEE Access journal (JCR 201: 4.098 - Q1)

Continuously assessing and improving software quality with software analytics tools: a case study

Silverio Martínez-Fernández, Anna Maria Vollmer, Andreas Jedlitschka, Xavier Franch, Lidia López, Prabhat Ram, Pilar Rodríguez, Sanja Aaramaa, Alessandra Bagnato, Michał Choraś and Jari Partanen 

Abstract. In the last decade, modern data analytics technologies have enabled the creation of software analytics tools offering real-time visualization of various aspects related to software development and usage. These tools seem to be particularly attractive for companies doing agile software development. However, the information provided by the available tools is neither aggregated nor connected to higher quality goals. At the same time, assessing and improving software quality has also been a key target for the software engineering community, yielding several proposals for standards and software quality models. Integrating such quality models into software analytics tools could close the gap by providing the connection to higher quality goals. This study aims at understanding whether the integration of quality models into software analytics tools provides understandable, reliable, useful, and relevant information at the right level of detail about the quality of a process or product, and whether practitioners intend to use it. Over the course of more than one year, the four companies involved in this case study deployed such a tool to assess and improve software quality in several projects. We used standardized measurement instruments to elicit the perception of 22 practitioners regarding their use of the tool. We complemented the findings with debriefing sessions held at the companies. In addition, we discussed challenges and lessons learned with four practitioners leading the use of the tool. Quantitative and qualitative analyses provided positive results; i.e., the practitioners’ perception with regard to the tool’s understandability, reliability, usefulness, and relevance was positive. Individual statements support the statistical findings and constructive feedback can be used for future improvements. We conclude that potential for future adoption of quality models within software analytics tools definitely exists and encourage other practitioners to use the presented seven challenges and seven lessons learned and adopt them in their companies.

 

Link to the Open Access paper

iStar Workshop accepted at ER 2019

This year I'm organising the International Workshop of i* jointly to Joao Pimentel and Juan Pablo Carvallo. You can find the workshop details at iStar18 website.

This is the first time the workshop will be co-located to the  The International Conference on Conceptual Modeling (ER'19).