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Measuring Open Source Quality: A Literature Review

Measuring Open Source Quality: A Literature Review

Claudia Ruiz, William N. Robinson
Copyright: © 2011 |Volume: 3 |Issue: 3 |Pages: 18
ISSN: 1942-3926|EISSN: 1942-3934|EISBN13: 9781613508732|DOI: 10.4018/jossp.2011070104
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MLA

Ruiz, Claudia, and William N. Robinson. "Measuring Open Source Quality: A Literature Review." IJOSSP vol.3, no.3 2011: pp.48-65. http://doi.org/10.4018/jossp.2011070104

APA

Ruiz, C. & Robinson, W. N. (2011). Measuring Open Source Quality: A Literature Review. International Journal of Open Source Software and Processes (IJOSSP), 3(3), 48-65. http://doi.org/10.4018/jossp.2011070104

Chicago

Ruiz, Claudia, and William N. Robinson. "Measuring Open Source Quality: A Literature Review," International Journal of Open Source Software and Processes (IJOSSP) 3, no.3: 48-65. http://doi.org/10.4018/jossp.2011070104

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Abstract

There is an ample debate over the quality of Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) with mixed research results. The authors show that a reason for these mixed results is that quality is being defined, measured, and evaluated differently. They report the most popular approaches including software structure measures, process measures, and maturity assessment models. The way researchers have built their samples has also contributed to the mixed results with different project properties being considered and ignored. Because FLOSS projects evolve with each release, their quality does too, and it must be measured using metrics that take into account their communities’ commitment to quality rather than just the structure of the resulting code. Challenges exist in defining what constitutes a defect or bug, and the role of modularity in affecting FLOSS quality. The authors suggest three considerations for future research on FLOSS quality models: (1) defect resolution rate, (2) kind of software product, and (3) modularity—both technical and organizational.

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