of the supporting environment to effectively implement its adopted agile method. Presently, we have a skeletal structure for our approach to assessing capability. To completely define our approach, we still need to identify the observable characteristics associated with each practice, and define metrics for assessing each (practice, property) pair. We recognize that the metrics to be defined for each indicator would yield values that maybe subjective, objective, numerical, binary, range values, etc. Hence, we need to map the different types of values obtained onto a uniform scale of measurement to perform the aggregation. However, we have not yet defined that necessary mapping approach. Current research is underway to identify an appropriate uniform scale of measurement. The EE Methodology suggests one viable approach.
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S. Soundararajan and J. D. Arthur, "A Structured Framework for Assessing the "Goodness" of Agile Methods," in 18th IEEE International Conference and Workshops on Engineering of Computer Based Systems (ECBS), 2011 2011, pp. 14-23.
S. Soundararajan, "A Methodology for Assessing Agile Software Development Approaches " Research Proposal Document, Computer Science, Virginia Tech, 2011.Available from: http://arxiv.org/abs/1108.0427 (CoRR).
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M. L. Talbert, "A Methodology for the measurement and evaluation of complex system designs," Ph.D. Dissertation, Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, 1995.
Shvetha Soundararajan is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Tech. She received her Master's degree in Computer Science from Virginia Tech in 2008. Her research interests include Agile Software Engineering, Requirements Engineering, Software Architecture, Software Process Improvement, and Usability Engineering. Her current research involves assessing the "goodness" of agile methods. She is a member of Upsilon Pi Epsilon (Computer Science Honor Society) and the IEEE Computer Society.
James D. Arthur is an Emeritus Professor of Computer Science at Virginia Tech (VPI&SU). He received B.S and M.A. degrees in Mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1972 and 1973, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science from Purdue University in 1981 and 1983. His research interests include Software Engineering (Methods and Methodologies supporting Software Quality Assessment and IV&V Processes), Parallel Computation, and User Support Environments. Dr. Arthur is the author of over 30 papers on software engineering, software quality assessment, IV&V, and user/machine interaction. He has served as: participating member of IEEE Working Group on Reference Models for V&V Methods; Chair of Education Panel for National Software Council Workshop; Guest Editor for Annals of Software Engineering special volume on Process and Product Quality Measurement; and Principal Investigator or Investigator on 14 externally funded research projects totaling in excess of $1.4 million. Dr. Arthur is a member of Pi Mu Epsilon (Math Honor Society), Upsilon Pi Epsilon (Computer Science Honor Society), Golden Key National Honor Society, Sigma Xi (National Research Society), ACM, and the IEEE Computer Society.