Towards a Method for Evaluating the Precision of Software Measures

Software measurement currently plays a crucial role in software engineering given that the evaluation of software quality depends on the values of the measurements carried out. One important quality attribute is measurement precision. However, this attribute is frequently used indistinctly and confused with accuracy in software measurement. In this paper, we clarify the meaning of precision and propose a method for assessing the precision of software measures in accordance with ISO 5725. This method was used to assess a functional size measurement procedure. A pilot study was designed for the purpose of revealing any deficiencies in the design of our study.