Authors:
Tereza G. Kirner
and
Alessandra V. Saraiva
Affiliation:
Graduate Program in Computer Science - Methodist University of Piracicaba, Brazil
Keyword(s):
Software usability; Requirements usability evaluation; Empirical study; Goal-Question- Metrics.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Enterprise Information Systems
;
Information Systems Analysis and Specification
;
Methodologies, Processes and Platforms
;
Model-Driven Software Development
;
Requirements Analysis And Management
;
Software Engineering
;
Systems Engineering
Abstract:
This article presents an empirical study performed to evaluate the usability of a software applied to the agri-livestock area. The evaluation plan was prepared with basis on the Goal-Question-Metrics paradigm. The research was performed in a government department of São Paulo state, in Brazil, and the subjects were professionals that give assistance to small rural properties in the planning, execution and control of agri-livestock activities, which can be supported by software systems. Usability is concerned with the suitability of the software for its users, defined in this work through the following attributes: easiness of understanding, easiness of learning, operationability, software attractiveness and user satisfaction, and usefulness and accomplishment of the goals. The preparation and execution of the empirical study are described and the data analysis and conclusions are presented. The obtained results indicate a satisfactory level of usability for the considered software. Be
sides evaluating the software, the study aim to contribute to the detailing of a process, based on GQM, to perform usability evaluations. The work also represents a contribution to the software quality improvement, primarily to those systems applied to agri-livestock tasks.
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