An Empirical Study of Analogy-based Software Effort Estimation

Conventional approaches to software cost estimation have focused on algorithmic cost models, where an estimate of effort is calculated from one or more numerical inputs via a mathematical model. Analogy-based estimation has recently emerged as a promising approach, with comparable accuracy to algorithmic methods in some studies, and it is potentially easier to understand and apply. The current study compares several methods of analogy-based software effort estimation with each other and also with a simple linear regression model. The results show that people are better than tools at selecting analogues for the data set used in this study. Estimates based on their selections, with a linear size adjustment to the analogue's effort value, proved more accurate than estimates based on analogues selected by tools, and also more accurate than estimates based on the simple regression model.