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Confidence in software cost estimation results based on MMRE and PRED

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Published:12 May 2008Publication History

ABSTRACT

Bootstrapping is used to approximate the standard error and 95% confidence intervals of MMRE and PRED for a number of COCOMO I model variations applied to four PROMISE data sets. This is used to illustrate a lack of confidence in numerous published cost estimation research results based on MMRE and PRED comparisons such as model selection. We show that many such results are of questionable significance due to large possible variations resulting from population sampling error and suggest that a number of inconsistent and contradictory results may be explained by this. By using more standard statistical approaches that account for standard error, we may reduce the incidence of this and obtain greater confidence cost estimation in research results.

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    • Published in

      cover image ACM Conferences
      PROMISE '08: Proceedings of the 4th international workshop on Predictor models in software engineering
      May 2008
      108 pages
      ISBN:9781605580364
      DOI:10.1145/1370788

      Copyright © 2008 ACM

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      Publication History

      • Published: 12 May 2008

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      PROMISE '08 Paper Acceptance Rate13of16submissions,81%Overall Acceptance Rate64of125submissions,51%

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