Dr. Barbara Kitchenham is Professor of Quantitative Software Engineering at Keele University in the UK; she is also a Senior Principal Researcher at National ICT Australia. She has worked in software engineering for nearly 30 years both in industry and academia. Her main research interest is software metrics and its application to project management, quality control, risk management and evaluation of software technologies. She is particularly interested in the limitations of technology and the practical problems associated with applying measurement technologies and experimental methods to software engineering. She is a Chartered Mathematician and Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society and a visiting professor at both the University of Durham and the Unverisity of Ulster. Our interview between Dr. Barbara Kitchenham and Michael Milutis, Executive Director of the IT Metrics and Productivity Institute, took place in June of 2006.
Evidence-Based Software Engineering (EBSE) aims to improve software decision making by integrating current research findings with practical experience and human values. EBSE seeks to close the gap between research and practice by helping software organizations adopt research findings using an integrated approach similar to the evidence-based practice found in the field of medicine. This methodology will help software organizations adopt best practices more quickly and with fewer risks, improve the quality of products, and reduce the risk of project failures. This article co-authored by Barbara Kitchenham outlines a step-by-step approach for adopting EBSE in software organizations. (8 pages)
A recent report on the state of the UK IT Industry based most of its findings and recommendations on expert opinion. This paper, co-authored by Barbara Kitchenham, investigates what empirical evidence exists to support the view that the rate of IT project failures is unacceptably high. It finds that most evidence related to project failure is based on convenience samples. The paper recommends adopting a more systematic approach to accumulating and reporting evidence and using quasi-experimental designs developed and used in the social sciences to improve the methodology used for undertaking large-scale empirical studies in software engineering. (7 pages)
Process Improvement in Practice: A Handbook for IT Companies
by Tore Dyb, Torgeir Dingsyr, Nils Brede Moe
IT companies are challenged every day to deliver faster, better and cheaper. The customer's expectations must be met in a world where constant change in environment, organization and technology are the rule rather that the exception. A solution for meeting these challenges is to share knowledge and experience - use the company's own experience, and the experience of other companies. Process Improvement in Practice - A Handbook for IT Companies tackles the problems involved in launching these solutions. This book is designed for small IT companies who wish to start with systematic improvement. The methods and techniques in this handbook are tried in practice, and have proven to be easy to use and scalable for local needs. Managers and developers will discover useful tips to initiate improvement work efficiently. This practical handbook, designed for a professional audience composed of researchers and practitioners in industry, is based on the authors' improvement work in a range of companies since the mid-nineties.
For more information on software best practices and IT management, please contact Michael Milutis, the IT Metrics and Productivity Journal Executive Director, at michael_milutis@compaid.com
