On the nature of bias and defects in the software specification process

Implementation bias in a specification is an arbitrary constraint in the solution space. This paper describes the problem of bias. Additionally, this paper presents a model of the specification and design processes describing individual subprocesses in terms of precision/detail diagrams and a model of bias in multi-attribute software specifications. While studying how bias is introduced into a specification we realized that software defects and bias are dual problems of a single phenomenon. This was used to explain the large proportion of faults found during the coding phase at the Software Engineering Laboratory at NASA/GSFC

Interview with Helen Zelkowitz

Helen Zelkowitz discusses her life and family from Mt. Vernonhttps://digital.kenyon.edu/jews_interviews/1002/thumbnail.jp

Software engineering technology transfer: Understanding the process

Technology transfer is of crucial concern to both government and industry today. In this report, the mechanisms developed by NASA to transfer technology are explored and the actual mechanisms used to transfer software development technologies are investigated. Time, cost, and effectiveness of software engineering technology transfer is reported

Madness of NBA Talent in March

A successful run in March Madness, the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s college basketball tournament, leads to an increase in revenue, university name recognition, and fan base support. With each additional round won, the university benefits even more. This has prompted university athletic departments to look for tools to effectively further their teams\u27 progression in the tournament. This paper utilizes a two-step cluster analysis to determine if having future National Basketball Association players is likely to further a team’s progression in the tournament. The two-step cluster analysis produced promising results. This model is useful to coaches and athletic departments that are aiming to have the best chance at winning the tournament

An information model for use in software management estimation and prediction

This paper describes the use of cluster analysis for determining the information model within collected software engineering development data at the NASA/GSFC Software Engineering Laboratory. We describe the Software Management Environment tool that allows managers to predict development attributes during early phases of a software project and the modifications we propose to allow it to develop dynamic models for better predictions of these attributes

Interview with Helen Zelkowitz and Margo Waddell

Helen Zelkowitz and Margo Waddell discuss being Jewish in a small Protestant town, their family histories, and Margo\u27s transition from Germany to America. They mention the rise of anti-semitism in Europe again, the Berlin Wall, and their Jewish practices, despite not having a Synagogue, a Rabbi, or access to Kosher food.https://digital.kenyon.edu/lt_interviews/1019/thumbnail.jp

Foundations of Empirical Software Engineering: The Legacy of Victor R. Basili

This book captures the main scientific contributions of Victor R. Basili, who has significantly shaped the field of empirical software engineering from its very start. He was the first to claim that software engineering needed to follow the model of other physical sciences and develop an experimental paradigm. By working on this postulate, he developed concepts that today are well known and widely used, including the Goal-Question-Metric method, the Quality-Improvement paradigm, and the Experience Factory. He is one of the few software pioneers who can aver that their research results are not just scientifically acclaimed but are also used as industry standards. On the occasion of his 65th birthday, celebrated with a symposium in his honor at the International Conference on Software Engineering in St. Louis, MO, USA in May 2005, Barry Boehm, Hans Dieter Rombach, and Marvin V. Zelkowitz, each a long-time collaborator of Victor R. Basili, selected the 20 most important research papers of their friend, and arranged these according to subject field. They then invited renowned researchers to write topical introductions. The result is this commented collection of timeless cornerstones of software engineering, hitherto available only in scattered publications

Interview with Mrs. Helen Zelkowitz and Mrs. Clara Wallock

Helen Zelkowitz and [Clara Wallock] discuss their lives growing up in Mount Vernon and their families.https://digital.kenyon.edu/jews_interviews/1001/thumbnail.jp