Regular Article
Empirical evaluation of a domain-oriented component library based on an embedded case study design

https://doi.org/10.1006/ijhc.1999.0330Get rights and content

Abstract

This paper presents an empirical evaluation of the real-life reuse of a domain-oriented library of problem-solving methods, in which top-level methods are related with respect to a domain model in an application area. First, the author clarifies research questions and the assumptions underlying this study, in accordance with a framework of case study research design. The organization of the library and its deployment processes are then briefly introduced. Taking account of the recurring modification of the library, the stability and productivity are investigated with respect to the code-size changes and the number of person-hours spent on the maintenance. Finally, it is concluded that the stability of a domain model is ensured by module dependency, and facilitates productive reuse of the domain-oriented library.

References (50)

  • H. SIMON

    Artificial intelligence: an empirical science

    Artificial Intelligence

    (1995)
  • L. ADELMAN

    Experiments, quasi-experiments, and case studies: a review of emprical methods for evaluating decision support systems

    IEEE Transations on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics

    (1991)
  • V.E. BARKEN et al.

    Expert systems for configuration at Digital: XCON and beyond

    Communications of the ACM

    (1989)
  • V.R. BASILI et al.

    The TAME project: towards improvement-oriented software environments

    IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering

    (1988)
  • I. BENBASAT et al.

    The case research strategy in studies of information systems

    MIS Quarterly

    (1987)
  • R. BENJAMINS

    On a role of problem-solving methods in knowledge acquisition—experiments with diagnostic strategies

  • P. BEYS et al.

    Remedying the reusability—usability tradeoff for problem-solving methods

    (1996)
  • J.S. BROWN et al.

    Borderline issues: social and material aspects of design

    Human-Computer Interaction

    (1994)
  • D.T. CAMPBELL et al.

    Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs for Research

    (1966)
  • B. CHANDRASEKARAN et al.

    Generic tasks and task structures: history, critique and new directions

  • W.J. CLANCEY

    The knowledge level reinterpreted: modelling socio-techical systems

    International Journal of Intelligenet Systems

    (1993)
  • P.R. COHEN

    Empirical Methods for Artificial Intelligence

    (1995)
  • T.D. COOK et al.

    Quasi-Experimentation: Design and Analysis Issues for Field Settings

    (1979)
  • K.M. EISENHARDT

    Building theories from case study research

    Academy of Management Review

    (1989)

    • Cited by (0)

    f1

    [email protected]

    View full text
    Copyright © 1999 Academic Press. All rights reserved.