In this paper, we describe our experience with using problem reports from industry for quality assessment. The non-uniform terminology used in problem reports and validity concerns have been subject of earlier research but are far from settled. To distinguish between terms such as defects or errors, we propose to answer three questions on the scope of a study related to what (problem appearance or its cause), where (problems related to software; executable or not; or system), and when (problems recorded in all development life cycles or some of them). Challenges in defining research questions and metrics, collecting and analyzing data, generalizing the results and reporting them are discussed. Ambiguity in defining problem report fields and missing, inconsistent or wrong data threatens the value of collected evidence. Some of these concerns could be settled by answering some basic questions related to the problem reporting fields and improving data collection routines and tools.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.