The following is a list of major changes from the previous edition:
a) This revision elaborates on the context in which validation is to be interpreted—validating metrics
with respect to a quality factor (e.g., demonstrating a statistical relationship between a complexity
metric and defect count for the purpose of predicting defects from complexity) for a given application
as opposed to a universal validation of the metrics for all applications. An informative annex
(Annex B of this standard), giving sample metric validation calculations, is also included.
b) Due to the policy of the IEEE Software Engineering Standards Committee (SESC) to provide major
informational items in the form of SESC approved books, as opposed to putting this information in
standards, the annex that contained the case studies (Annex C of IEEE Std 1061-1992) has been
deleted. In addition, due to legal and proprietary restrictions on the release of data when IEEE Std
1061-1992 was written, the working group was unable to obtain metric data from industry for the
mission critical example. Therefore, it was necessary to use university metric data. Since the publication
of IEEE Std 1061-1992, data have become available from applications, such as the Space
Shuttle, which will be used in a future book. The book could be used as a companion document to
this standard.
c) The annex that contained an informational item about metrics descriptions and results (Annex B of
IEEE Std 1061-1992) has been deleted because many of the metrics and metrics application results
are now obsolete. Examples of metrics will be included in the aforementioned book.
d) The annex that contained example factors, subfactors, and metrics, and that described the relationships
among them (Annex A of IEEE Std 1061-1992), has been deleted. The relationships among
these are pictured in Figure 1 and discussed in Clause 3 of this standard.
e) Obsolete references in the bibliography (Annex D of IEEE Std 1061-1992) have been deleted and a
list of references (Clause 2 of this standard) has been added. The purpose of the references is to point
the user to additional information about key points in the standard. In accord with SESC policy, a
metrics bibliography will be provided in a future SESC approved book.
f) Due to the importance of the goal question metric (GQM) and the practical software measurement
(PSM) frameworks, these frameworks have been included in an informative annex (Annex A of this
standard).
g) Normative and informative material have been better distinguished.