A method for evaluating software engineering environments

A major obstacle blocking the widespread deployment of software engineering environments is the absence of generally accepted quantitative methods to measure the benefits or value, of their use. Such an evaluation technique can be used to identify settings where environments may have the greatest benefit, suggest directions for research efforts, and allow potential users to make informed choices among various candidates. The evaluation method presented here is inexpensive and easy to apply. The method is independent of any specific software engineering environment, process model, or methodology. The evaluation questionnaire enforces a distinction between perceptions of the development setting and perceptions of the utility of the software engineering environment. The method is composed of evaluation criteria and evaluation scales from the body of work in software measurement. Automation of the evaluation method is straight forward