Quality Assurance Practices in Biomedical Open Source Software Projects
Author Information
Author(s): Koru Günes, Khaled El Emam, Neisa Angelica, Medha Umarji
Primary Institution: Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute
Hypothesis
To what degree and how effectively do biomedical OS developers perform standard quality assurance activities?
Conclusion
The study found that less attention is paid to peer review than testing in biomedical open source software projects, indicating potential quality risks.
Supporting Evidence
- 63% of projects did not include peer reviews in their development process.
- 82% of projects included testing as part of their quality assurance activities.
- 74% of developers did not have a background in computing.
- 80% of developers were compensated for their contributions.
Takeaway
This study looked at how well developers of open source software in healthcare check their work. It found that many don't get their code reviewed by others, which could lead to problems.
Methodology
A web survey was conducted among developers of biomedical open source projects to assess their quality assurance practices.
Potential Biases
The sample may be biased towards smaller projects, as larger projects were less represented.
Limitations
The study had a low response rate and may not represent all biomedical OS projects.
Participant Demographics
73% of respondents had over 5 years of programming experience, and 52% held PhDs.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.051
Confidence Interval
95% CI, 54-72
Statistical Significance
p=0.051
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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