Skip to main content

An Exploratory Study on Risk Estimation in Risk-Based Testing Approaches

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Software Quality. Software and Systems Quality in Distributed and Mobile Environments (SWQD 2015)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing ((LNBIP,volume 200))

Included in the following conference series:

Abstract

Risk estimation is a core activity in every risk-based testing process because it determines the significance of the risk values assigned to tests and therefore the quality of the overall risk-based testing process. In this paper we explore how risk estimation is performed in risk-based testing approaches. For this purpose, we classify 17 collected risk-based testing approaches according to predefined dimensions risk item type, factors, criteria, estimation technique, risk scale, estimation date, automation of measurement as well as tool support, and analyze the classification. Results from this classification reveal that a broad range of estimation variants is used but most approaches estimate risk for functional artifacts, consider probability and impact explicitly, use a quantitative scale and are based on manual measurement.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 34.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 44.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Wendland, M.F., Kranz, M., Schieferdecker, I.: A systematic approach to risk-based testing using risk-annotated requirements models. In: ICSEA 2012, pp. 636–642 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Standards Australia/New Zealand: Risk Management AS/NZS 4360:2004 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  3. ISTQB: Standard glossary of terms used in software testing, version 2.2. Technical report, ISTQB (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Ramler, R., Felderer, M.: Experiences from an initial study on risk probability estimation based on expert opinion. In: IWSM-MENSURA 2013, pp. 93–97. IEEE (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  5. McCall, J., Richards, P., Walters, G.: Factors in software quality. Technical report, NTIS, vol. 1, 2 and 3 (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Kläs, M., Elberzhager, F., Münch, J., Hartjes, K., von Graevemeyer, O.: Transparent combination of expert and measurement data for defect prediction: an industrial case study. In: ICSE 2010. ACM (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Felderer, M., Haisjackl, C., Breu, R., Motz, J.: Integrating manual and automatic risk assessment for risk-based testing. In: Biffl, S., Winkler, D., Bergsmann, J. (eds.) SWQD 2012. LNBIP, vol. 94, pp. 159–180. Springer, Heidelberg (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Haisjackl, C., Felderer, M., Breu, R.: Riscal-a risk estimation tool for software engineering purposes. In: 39th EUROMICRO Conference on Software Engineering and Advanced Applications (SEAA 2013), pp. 292–299. IEEE (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Felderer, M., Haisjackl, C., Pekar, V., Breu, R.: A risk assessment framework for software testing. In: Margaria, T., Steffen, B. (eds.) ISoLA 2014, Part II. LNCS, vol. 8803, pp. 292–308. Springer, Heidelberg (2014)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  10. Bai, X., Kenett, R.S., Yu, W.: Risk assessment and adaptive group testing of semantic web services. Int. J. Softw. Eng. Knowl. Eng. 22(05), 595–620 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Alam, M.M., Khan, A.I.: Risk-based testing techniques: a perspective study. Int. J. Comput. Appl. 65(1), 42–49 (2013)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  12. Ray, M., Mohapatra, D.P.: Risk analysis: a guiding force in the improvement of testing. IET Softw. 7(1), 29–46 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Felderer, M., Ramler, R.: Integrating risk-based testing in industrial test processes. Softw. Qual. J. 22(3), 543–575 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Bach, J.: Heuristic risk-based testing. Softw. Test. Qual. Eng. Mag. 11, 99 (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Rosenberg, L., Stapko, R., Gallo, A.: Risk-based object oriented testing. In: Proceedings of 13th International Software/Internet Quality Week-QW 2 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  16. van Veenendaal, E.: Practical Risk-Based Testing - The PRISMA Approach. UTN Publishers (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Amland, S.: Risk-based testing: risk analysis fundamentals and metrics for software testing including a financial application case study. J. Syst. Softw. 53(3), 287–295 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Chen, Y., Probert, R.L., Sims, D.P.: Specification-based regression test selection with risk analysis. In: Proceedings of the 2002 Conference of the Centre for Advanced Studies on Collaborative Research, p. 1. IBM Press (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Redmill, F.: Exploring risk-based testing and its implications. Softw. Test. Verif. Reliab. 14(1), 3–15 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Redmill, F.: Theory and practice of risk-based testing. Softw. Test. Verif. Reliab. 15(1), 3–20 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Stallbaum, H., Metzger, A.: Employing requirements metrics for automating early risk assessment. In: Proceedings of MeReP07, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, pp. 1–12 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Stallbaum, H., Metzger, A., Pohl, K.: An automated technique for risk-based test case generation and prioritization. In: Proceedings of the 3rd International Workshop on Automation of Software Test, pp. 67–70. ACM (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Souza, E., Gusmao, C., Alves, K., Venancio, J., Melo, R.: Measurement and control for risk-based test cases and activities. In: 10th Latin American Test Workshop, pp. 1–6. IEEE (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Souza, E., Gusmão, C., Venâncio, J.: Risk-based testing: a case study. In: 2010 Seventh International Conference on Information Technology: New Generations (ITNG), pp. 1032–1037. IEEE (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Zimmermann, F., Eschbach, R., Kloos, J., Bauer, T., et al.: Risk-based statistical testing: a refinement-based approach to the reliability analysis of safety-critical systems. In: EWDC 2009 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Kloos, J., Hussain, T., Eschbach, R.: Risk-based testing of safety-critical embedded systems driven by fault tree analysis. In: ICSTW 2011, pp. 26–33. IEEE (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Yoon, H., Choi, B.: A test case prioritization based on degree of risk exposure and its empirical study. Int. J. Softw. Eng. Knowl. Eng. 21(02), 191–209 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Zech, P.: Risk-based security testing in cloud computing environments. In: ICST 2011, pp. 411–414. IEEE (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Felderer, M., Ramler, R.: Experiences and challenges of introducing risk-based testing in an industrial project. In: Bergsmann, J., Biffl, S., Winkler, D. (eds.) SWQD 2013. LNBIP, vol. 133, pp. 10–29. Springer, Heidelberg (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  30. Felderer, M., Schieferdecker, I.: A taxonomy of risk-based testing. STTT 16(5), 559–568 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Jorgensen, M., Boehm, B., Rifkin, S.: Software development effort estimation: formal models or expert judgment? IEEE Softw. 26(2), 14–19 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. McCabe, T.J.: A complexity measure. IEEE Trans. Softw. Eng. 2(4), 308–320 (1976)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This research was partially funded by the research projects MOBSTECO (FWF P 26194-N15) and QE LaB - Living Models for Open Systems (FFG 822740).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Felderer .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this paper

Cite this paper

Felderer, M., Haisjackl, C., Pekar, V., Breu, R. (2015). An Exploratory Study on Risk Estimation in Risk-Based Testing Approaches. In: Winkler, D., Biffl, S., Bergsmann, J. (eds) Software Quality. Software and Systems Quality in Distributed and Mobile Environments. SWQD 2015. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol 200. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13251-8_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13251-8_3

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-13250-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-13251-8

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics