Software Effort Estimation Using ISBSG Dataset: Multiple Case Studies

Effort estimation is one of the base activities in software project planning. There are two base inputs needed for the effort estimation: software size and effort data. The size of the software can be measured in different stages of the project. However, there are known problems regarding effort data collection in the industry. In these circumstances, effort estimation can be difficult in organizations. International Software Benchmarking Standards Group (ISBSG) dataset includes many projects including the size and effort data provided by different organizations. This dataset can be used in organizations for effort estimation. In this study, we performed case studies with graduate students to explore if the ISBSG dataset is beneficial for the effort estimation in their organizations. Firstly, students measured the size of a project from their organizations using the COSMIC Functional Size Measurement Method. Then, they formed an effort estimation model using ISBSG data and predicted the effort for their project. Our study shows the applicability of using ISBSG for effort estimation when there is no effort data in an organization.