Improving Software Quality through Instrumented Formal Technical Review

正式的技术评审(FTR)包含一系列结构化的、协作的方法，使用技术人员来改进软件开发构件的质量。研究表明，当适当地实施FTR时，会带来显著的好处。然而，研究也表明，FTR带来了大量新的管理费用，其成本效益很容易受到各种集团流程障碍的影响。此外，目前的自贸权做法难以有效调查，而且成本高昂，因此，关于其性质和相对有效性的许多重要问题仍未得到回答。本项目使用CSRS，一个客户端-服务器、仪表化、协作式的软件审查系统来调查FTR研究和实践中的问题。使用CSRS，受控的实证研究提供了对影响审查成本效益的因素(如会议的出席或缺席)的洞察。该项目还在加强CSRS，以支持其公开发布和在工业环境中的案例研究中使用。这些努力有助于深入了解在从手工审查向计算机支持的软件审查转变过程中出现的技术转让问题。它们还支持对由计算机支持的新形式的FTR进行评估，例如涉及20名或更多参与者的软件审查，以及参与者地理分布的软件审查。

Formal technical review (FTR) encompasses a range of structured, collaborative methods employing technical personnel to improve the quality of a software development artifact. Research shows that FTR, when appropriately practiced, provides significant benefits. However, research also shows that FTR introduces substantial new overhead, and that its cost-effectiveness is easily compromised by a variety of group process obstacles. In addition, current FTR practice is difficult and costly to investigate effectively, and thus many important questions about its nature and comparative effectiveness remain unanswered. This project uses CSRS, a client-server, instrumented, collaborative software review system to investigate issues in research and practice of FTR. Using CSRS, controlled empirical studies provide insight into factors (such as the presence or absence of meetings) influencing the cost-effectiveness of review. The project is also enhancing CSRS to support its public release and use in case-study research in industrial settings. These efforts provide insight into technology transfer issues arising in the shift from manual to computer-supported software review. They also support evaluation of novel forms of FTR made possible by computer support, such as software review involving 20 or more participants, and software review where participants are geographically distributed.