Software metrics (2nd ed.): a rigorous and practical approach
Software metrics (2nd ed.): a rigorous and practical approach
OPEN modeling language (OML) reference manual
OPEN modeling language (OML) reference manual
Building Knowledge through Families of Experiments
IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering
Comprehending Object and Process Models: An Empirical Study
IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering
Experimentation in software engineering: an introduction
Experimentation in software engineering: an introduction
Journal of Systems and Software - Special issue on Evaluation and assessment in software engineering
Applying meta-analytical procedures to software engineering experiments
Journal of Systems and Software
IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering
IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering
Multimedia Learning
Practical Software Maintenance: Best Practices for Managing Your Software Investment
Practical Software Maintenance: Best Practices for Managing Your Software Investment
UML class diagram syntax: an empirical study of comprehension
APVis '01 Proceedings of the 2001 Asia-Pacific symposium on Information visualisation - Volume 9
Empirical Software Engineering
Hints for Reviewing Empirical Work in Software Engineering
Empirical Software Engineering
Preliminary guidelines for empirical research in software engineering
IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering
Should Optional Properties Be Used in Conceptual Modelling? A Theory and Three Empirical Tests
Information Systems Research
The effect of modularization and comments on program comprehension
ICSE '81 Proceedings of the 5th international conference on Software engineering
Research Synthesis in Software Engineering: A Case for Meta-Analysis
METRICS '99 Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Software Metrics
UML Collaboration Diagram Syntax: An Empirical Study of Comprehension
VISSOFT '02 Proceedings of the 1st International Workshop on Visualizing Software for Understanding and Analysis
Model-Driven Development: A Metamodeling Foundation
IEEE Software
The Pragmatics of Model-Driven Development
IEEE Software
High Quality Statecharts through Tailored, Perspective-Based Inspections
EUROMICRO '03 Proceedings of the 29th Conference on EUROMICRO
Issues in Using Students in Empirical Studies in Software Engineering Education
METRICS '03 Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Software Metrics
Evaluating modeling techniques based on models of learning
Communications of the ACM - Service-oriented computing
IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering
ISESE '04 Proceedings of the 2004 International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering
An empirical comparison of the dynamic modeling in OML and UML
Journal of Systems and Software
A Survey of Controlled Experiments in Software Engineering
IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering
Complexity and clarity in conceptual modeling: comparison of mandatory and optional properties
Data & Knowledge Engineering - Special issue: Quality in conceptual modeling
Assisting novice analysts in developing quality conceptual models with UML
Communications of the ACM - Services science
Explicit modeling of semantics associated with composite states in UML statecharts
Automated Software Engineering
Journal of Systems and Software - Special issue: Quality software
Understanding Conceptual Schemas: Exploring the Role of Application and IS Domain Knowledge
Information Systems Research
The Role of Experience and Ability in Comprehension Tasks Supported by UML Stereotypes
ICSE '07 Proceedings of the 29th international conference on Software Engineering
Assessing the Comprehension of UML Class Diagrams via Eye Tracking
ICPC '07 Proceedings of the 15th IEEE International Conference on Program Comprehension
ICPC '07 Proceedings of the 15th IEEE International Conference on Program Comprehension
Building measure-based prediction models for UML class diagram maintainability
Empirical Software Engineering
Systematic review: A systematic review of effect size in software engineering experiments
Information and Software Technology
MDA: Revenge of the Modelers or UML Utopia?
IEEE Software
Quality and comprehension of UML interaction diagrams-an experimental comparison
Information and Software Technology
Basics of Software Engineering Experimentation
Basics of Software Engineering Experimentation
Evaluating the effect of composite states on the understandability of UML statechart diagrams
MoDELS'05 Proceedings of the 8th international conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems
An empirical study of the nesting level of composite states within UML statechart diagrams
ER'05 Proceedings of the 24th international conference on Perspectives in Conceptual Modeling
Level of detail in UML models and its impact on model comprehension: A controlled experiment
Information and Software Technology
Evaluating the Impact of UML Modeling on Software Quality: An Industrial Case Study
MODELS '09 Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems
Information Sciences: an International Journal
Information and Software Technology
Assessing the maintainability of software product line feature models using structural metrics
Software Quality Control
Information and Software Technology
Empirical Software Engineering
A family of case studies on business process mining using MARBLE
Journal of Systems and Software
Assessing the impact of hierarchy on model understandability --- a cognitive perspective
MODELS'11 Proceedings of the 2011th international conference on Models in Software Engineering
Information and Software Technology
Making the case for measuring mental effort
Proceedings of the Second Edition of the International Workshop on Experiences and Empirical Studies in Software Modelling
ECSA'13 Proceedings of the 7th European conference on Software Architecture
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The main goal of this work is to present a family of empirical studies that we have carried out to investigate whether the use of composite states may improve the understandability of UML statechart diagrams derived from class diagrams. Our hypotheses derive from conventional wisdom, which says that hierarchical modeling mechanisms are helpful in mastering the complexity of a software system. In our research, we have carried out three empirical studies, consisting of five experiments in total. The studies differed somewhat as regards the size of the UML statechart models, though their size and the complexity of the models were chosen so that they could be analyzed by the subjects within a limited time period. The studies also differed with respect to the type of subjects (students vs. professionals), the familiarity of the subjects with the domains of the diagrams, and other factors. To integrate the results obtained from each of the five experiments, we performed a meta-analysis study which allowed us to take into account the differences between studies and to obtain the overall effect that the use of composite states has on the understandability of UML statechart diagrams throughout all the experiments. The results obtained are not completely conclusive. They cast doubts on the usefulness of composite states for a better understanding and memorizing of UML statechart diagrams. Composite states seem only to be helpful for acquiring knowledge from the diagrams. At any rate, it should be noted that these results are affected by the previous experience of the subjects on modeling, as well as by the size and complexity of the UML statechart diagrams we used, so care should be taken when generalizing our results.