Model-based abductive reasoning in automated software testing

Angius, Nicola

doi:10.1093/jigpal/jzt006

Cited by 14 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…• The mature status of theory-guided software testing as a 'scientifically attested technology' (Arageorgis & Baltas, 1989) was recently confirmed science-philosophically (Angius, 2013(Angius, , 2014 with reference to relevant micro theories (Ammann & Offutt, 2008).…”

Section: The Two Dimensions Of Micro Theory Development In Software Ementioning

confidence: 95%

Invited Lecture: Notions of 'Theory' and their Practical Consequences in the Discipline of Software 'Engineering' (including Information Systems Design)

Grüner

2020

SACJ

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This contribution provides the full text to the invited lecture which I gave at the Annual Seminar of the Southern African Chapter of the Association for Information Systems (AISSAC), September the 14th, 2020. In this contribution, which thoroughly elaborates some of my earlier thoughts on this topic, I argue science-philosophically that the quest for a so-called 'general theory of software engineering' (GTSE) is, all-in-all, not feasible. More positively I also argue that software 'engineering' (which includes information systems design) might well become a 'proper' engineering discipline via the development and appropriate application of a multitude of domain-specific micro theories, by which successful engineering disciplines are typically characterized. Since different meta-theoretical opinions can be found even about what is a 'micro theory', I also explicate which definition of the notion of 'micro theory' is most appropriate in (and for) this particular domain of discourse.

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Section: The Two Dimensions Of Micro Theory Development In Software Ementioning

confidence: 95%

Invited Lecture: Notions of 'Theory' and their Practical Consequences in the Discipline of Software 'Engineering' (including Information Systems Design)

Grüner

2020

SACJ

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“…The theory development in software engineering combines mainly inductive and abductive aspects, which may initiate from both the practical and theoretical perspectives. For example, in the related work, the abductive approach is applied to software requirements ( d’Avila Garcez et al, 2003 ) and software testing ( Angius, 2013 ). Osei-Bryson & Ngwenyama (2013) explore and illustrate the use of IT in IS research to assist researchers in the testing of theories and developments through mining techniques ( Osei-Bryson & Ngwenyama, 2014b ), decision trees ( Osei-Bryson & Ngwenyama, 2011 ), or logical foundations ( Ngwenyama, 2014 ).…”

Section: Background and Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

An experience selecting quality features of apps for people with disabilities using abductive approach to explanatory theory generation

Larco

Montenegro

Yanez

et al. 2021

PeerJ Computer Science

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This study determines one of the most relevant quality factors of apps for people with disabilities utilizing the abductive approach to the generation of an explanatory theory. First, the abductive approach was concerned with the results’ description, established by the apps’ quality assessment, using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) tool. However, because of the restrictions of MARS outputs, the identification of critical quality factors could not be established, requiring the search for an answer for a new rule. Finally, the explanation of the case (the last component of the abductive approach) to test the rule’s new hypothesis. This problem was solved by applying a new quantitative model, compounding data mining techniques, which identified MARS’ most relevant quality items. Hence, this research defines a much-needed theoretical and practical tool for academics and also practitioners. Academics can experiment utilizing the abduction reasoning procedure as an alternative to achieve positivism in research. This study is a first attempt to improve the MARS tool, aiming to provide specialists relevant data, reducing noise effects, accomplishing better predictive results to enhance their investigations. Furthermore, it offers a concise quality assessment of disability-related apps.

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“…We address the informality demanded by Goguen in the abductive process of hypothesising models, at different levels in the semantic hierarchy, and of refining them until they provide successful predictions (Angius 2013). In formal verification, state transition systems are hypotheses concerning all potential executions of the represented software system; they are conceived by taking into consideration the program's instructions.…”

Section: Discovering Empirical Theories Of Software Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discovering Empirical Theories of Modular Software Systems. An Algebraic Approach

Angius

Stefaneas

2016

Synthese Library

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This paper is concerned with the construction of theories of software systems yielding adequate predictions of their target systems' computations. It is first argued that mathematical theories of programs are not able to provide predictions that are consistent with observed executions. Empirical theories of software systems are here introduced semantically, in terms of a hierarchy of computational models that are supplied by formal methods and testing techniques in computer science. Both deductive top-down and inductive bottom-up approaches in the discovery of semantic software theories are refused to argue in favour of the abductive process of hypothesising and refining models at each level in the hierarchy, until they become satisfactorily predictive. Empirical theories of computational systems are required to be modular, as modular are most software verification and testing activities. We argue that logic relations must be thereby defined among models representing different modules in a semantic theory of a modular software system. We exclude that scientific structuralism is able to define module relations needed in software modular theories. The algebraic Theory of Institutions is finally introduced to specify the logic structure of modular semantic theories of computational systems.

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Model-based abductive reasoning in automated software testing

Cited by 14 publications

References 9 publications

Invited Lecture: Notions of 'Theory' and their Practical Consequences in the Discipline of Software 'Engineering' (including Information Systems Design)

Invited Lecture: Notions of 'Theory' and their Practical Consequences in the Discipline of Software 'Engineering' (including Information Systems Design)

An experience selecting quality features of apps for people with disabilities using abductive approach to explanatory theory generation

Discovering Empirical Theories of Modular Software Systems. An Algebraic Approach

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