For my thesis (Software Quality) I am currently figuring out how to choose a proper Software Quality Model in order to lay down the foundation of a Software Quality Definition for the project I am working on.
For now I have choosen this approach, and I’d like to hear from others how they (would) have tackled this problem.
It is good to know that I have narrowed down what “Software Quality” is. I’ll be focussing on the product (Garvin, Gosby) quality and the targetted audience are Software Engineers.
At first I will determine what kind of product I am working on. In this case it is a website, selling things. Some characteristics come to mind, like “24/7” or “should display always the correct (price) information”.
With these characteristics, I’ll look up Software Quality Attributes that would fit in.
This gives me a table, with in the first column all the characteristics, and next to them a few Software Quality Attributes that would fall into that specific characteristic description.
Now that I have a list of Software Quality Attributes, I can look up what Quality Model has the most matching Software Quality Attributes in them as well. Models that focus on different attributes would not interest me anymore, because it would not apply to the kind of product I focus on.
I found a nice model comparison, with Software Quality Attributes, from NASA. For your convenience I show it here:
With this, it would be possible to choose a Software Quality Model and work from there.
I am half-way with this method, and so far I think this is the way to go. If you think this is a bit too easy, or I should really take other considerations. Please let me know.
Note: thanks to Wouter for his suggestion who got me into this direction.
I used ISO9126 as the basis for an evolving model of software product quality requirements – Thesis: Clearing the blur: A model of evolving software product quality requirements http://www.zenkara.com/docs/thesis_jkelly.pdf