A Cognitive Perspective on Analogy-based Project Estimation

类比推理或基于案例的推理（CBR）是一种知识管理技术，其前提是历史会重复自己，但不完全相同。这导致问题解决可以基于情景记忆和相似性提取。CBR已被用于许多软件工程问题，包括支持预测和经验教训的软件项目管理。不幸的是，使用CBR的结果往往没有明显的原因。因此，我们不能先验地预测CBR何时会帮助解决问题。CBR的起源在于20世纪80年代的心理学研究。从那时起，许多工作（包括我们自己的）都支持一种“黑箱”方法来理解软件工程中的问题解决。最近的兴趣CBR，作为一种知识管理工具，导致了大量的文献。然而，这强调了通常用于定义明确的问题解决的算法方法。为了解决非平凡或定义不清的问题，如软件项目经理遇到的问题，专家使用其他认知策略（例如创造性思维），但我们有稀疏的证据表明，在软件专业人员使用CBR工具的认知过程。研究发现，个性会影响认知过程。因此，它会影响解决问题的能力和策略。拟议的项目旨在解决以前的研究的局限性，利用认知心理学和计算机科学来研究软件工程的认知方面时，使用基于类比的工具，以提高解决问题的有效性。该项目旨在作为这种新型方法的试点研究。我们将调查使用CBR的软件专业人员的认知过程和个性，以支持解决问题（特别是成本估算）在现场。这将产生对CBR工具的有效使用和适当开发的见解。这是布鲁内尔大学（将提供软件工程专业知识和CBR外壳）、南安普顿索伦特大学（将提供认知心理学专业知识和管理RA）和EDS（将提供专家实践者、真实的世界问题和研究反馈）之间的联合提案。我们计划提交一份期刊和四份会议论文，维护一个项目网站，一个维基，并在我们的大学开放研究档案中发布论文的印后。我们将为合作者，学术和工业研究人员举办一个研讨会，以传播研究结果并产生想法，从而共同撰写出版物。研讨会的反馈将有助于制定后续研究议程。

Analogical or case-based reasoning (CBR) is a knowledge management technology based on the premise that history repeats itself, but not exactly. This leads to problem solving can be based upon episodic memory and retrieval by similarity. CBR has been used for many software engineering problems including support for software project management in prediction and lessons learned. Unfortunately results from using CBR are varied often for no obvious reason. Consequently we cannot predict a priori when CBR will aid problem solving.The origins of CBR lie in psychological studies from the 1980s. Since then, much work (including our own) has espoused a 'black-box' approach to understanding problem-solving in software engineering. Recent interest in CBR, as a knowledge management tool, has resulted in a large literature. However, this has emphasised algorithmic approaches typically used for well-defined problem solving. To solve non-trivial or ill-defined problems, such as those encountered by software project managers, experts use other cognitive strategies (e.g. creative thinking), yet we have sparse evidence about cognitive processes in software professionals using CBR tools. Personality has been found to impact cognitive processes. Therefore it will affect problem solving ability and strategy. The proposed project aims to address the limitations of previous research by exploiting cognitive psychology and computer science to investigate the cognitive aspects of software engineering when using analogy-based tools to improve problem solving effectiveness. This project is intended as a pilot study for this novel approach. We will investigate the cognitive processes and personality of software professionals using CBR to support problem-solving (specifically cost estimation) in situ.. This will yield insights into the effective use and appropriate development of CBR tools.It is a joint proposal between Brunel University (who will provide software engineering expertise and the CBR shell), Southampton Solent University (who will provide cognitive psychology expertise and manage the RA) and EDS (who will provide expert practitioners, real world problems and research feedback). We plan to submit one journal and four conference papers, maintain a project website, a wiki, and publish post-prints of papers in our university open research archives. We will run a workshop for collaborators, academic and industrial researchers to disseminate findings and generate ideas to lead to a collaboratively authored publication. Feedback from the workshop will help develop an agenda for follow up research.