|
| | | |
Perceived vs. Measured Quality of Conceptual Schemas: An Experimental Comparison
Cherfi, S.S.-s., Akoka, J. and Comyn-Wattiau, I.
Frequently the behaviour of an information system is
functionally correct, but it does not meet some quality
criteria, such as completeness, consistency, and usability.
One way to enhance the capability of an information
system is to consider its conceptual model quality as well
as its functional behaviour. Conceptual model quality can
be defined as a set of perceivable characteristics
expressed with quantifiable parameters that may be
objective and/or subjective. The aim of this empirical
investigation is to evaluate and compare perceived and
measured quality of different conceptual model versions
of the same universe of discourse. This paper describes:
a) a set of metrics (clarity, simplicity, expressiveness,
minimality) applied to different versions of ER
conceptual schemas, b) a framework enabling a
comprehensive comparison of the conceptual schemas, c)
an experimentation leading to the evaluation of the same
schemas by information system (IS) stakeholders such as
designers, end-users, and students, d) a comparison of the
objective and subjective evaluations based on a sample of
about 120 observations using different statistical
methods. First results indicate that there exists a strong
relationship between perceived and measured quality. A
second result reveals a significant difference between
groups of respondents in their ways to perceive
conceptual schemas quality. Based on our experiment, we
are able to identify quality criteria relevant to different
groups of stakeholders, depending on several dimensions,
such as their professional experience, and/or their
specialization degree. |
Cite as: Cherfi, S.S.-s., Akoka, J. and Comyn-Wattiau, I. (2007). Perceived vs. Measured Quality of Conceptual Schemas: An Experimental Comparison. In Proc. Tutorials, posters, panels and industrial contributions at the 26th International Conference on Conceptual Modeling - ER 2007 Auckland, New Zealand. CRPIT, 83. Grundy, J., Hartmann, S., Laender, A. H. F., Maciaszek, L. and Roddick, J. F., Eds. ACS. 185-190. |
(from crpit.com)
(local if available)
|
|