{"id":"https://openalex.org/W2056514427","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2699688","title":"Does Automated Unit Test Generation Really Help Software Testers? A Controlled Empirical Study","display_name":"Does Automated Unit Test Generation Really Help Software Testers? A Controlled Empirical Study","publication_year":2015,"publication_date":"2015-09-02","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W2056514427","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2699688","mag":"2056514427"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1145/2699688","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2699688","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S142627899","display_name":"ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology","issn_l":"1049-331X","issn":["1049-331X","1557-7392"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319798","host_organization_name":"Association for Computing Machinery","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319798"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Association for Computing Machinery"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://orbilu.uni.lu/handle/10993/10971","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5079261847","display_name":"Gordon Fraser","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4364-6595"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I91136226","display_name":"University of Sheffield","ror":"https://ror.org/05krs5044","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I91136226"]}],"countries":["GB"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Gordon Fraser","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I91136226"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5008490992","display_name":"Matt Staats","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I186903577","display_name":"University of Luxembourg","ror":"https://ror.org/036x5ad56","country_code":"LU","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I186903577"]}],"countries":["LU"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Matt Staats","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I186903577"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5078598020","display_name":"Phil McMinn","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9137-7433"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I91136226","display_name":"University of Sheffield","ror":"https://ror.org/05krs5044","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I91136226"]}],"countries":["GB"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Phil McMinn","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I91136226"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5052735480","display_name":"Andrea Arcuri","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0799-2930"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I2799829267","display_name":"Simula Research Laboratory","ror":"https://ror.org/00vn06n10","country_code":"NO","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I2799829267"]}],"countries":["NO"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Andrea Arcuri","raw_affiliation_strings":["Simula Research Laboratory, Lysaker, Norway"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Simula Research Laboratory, Lysaker, Norway","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I2799829267"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5070078265","display_name":"Frank Padberg","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7638-8310"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I102335020","display_name":"Karlsruhe Institute of Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/04t3en479","country_code":"DE","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I102335020","https://openalex.org/I1305996414"]}],"countries":["DE"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Frank Padberg","raw_affiliation_strings":["Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany","Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe,#N#Germany"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I102335020"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe,#N#Germany","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I102335020"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":4,"institutions_distinct_count":5,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5079261847"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I91136226"],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":15.4883,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":99,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.99162141,"is_in_top_1_percent":true,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":96,"max":100},"biblio":{"volume":"24","issue":"4","first_page":"1","last_page":"49"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10743","display_name":"Software Testing and Debugging Techniques","score":1.0,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1712","display_name":"Software"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10743","display_name":"Software Testing and Debugging Techniques","score":1.0,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1712","display_name":"Software"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12423","display_name":"Software Reliability and Analysis Research","score":0.9983000159263611,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1712","display_name":"Software"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10260","display_name":"Software Engineering Research","score":0.9980999827384949,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/computer-science","display_name":"Computer science","score":0.8394602537155151},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/oracle","display_name":"Oracle","score":0.7502376437187195},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/unit-testing","display_name":"Unit testing","score":0.7012866735458374},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/test-management-approach","display_name":"Test Management Approach","score":0.6157814264297485},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/test","display_name":"Test (biology)","score":0.5780872106552124},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-engineering","display_name":"Software engineering","score":0.5625881552696228},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/keyword-driven-testing","display_name":"Keyword-driven testing","score":0.5585188865661621},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/test-harness","display_name":"Test harness","score":0.5303400754928589},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/code-coverage","display_name":"Code coverage","score":0.4902399182319641},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/test-case","display_name":"Test case","score":0.462799996137619},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/manual-testing","display_name":"Manual testing","score":0.4319690763950348},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software","display_name":"Software","score":0.4304695129394531},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/test-script","display_name":"Test script","score":0.42467200756073},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/reliability-engineering","display_name":"Reliability engineering","score":0.36928820610046387},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/programming-language","display_name":"Programming language","score":0.2736981511116028},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/machine-learning","display_name":"Machine learning","score":0.22651484608650208},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-development","display_name":"Software development","score":0.2094809114933014},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-construction","display_name":"Software construction","score":0.11738625168800354}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.8394602537155151},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C55166926","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2892946","display_name":"Oracle","level":2,"score":0.7502376437187195},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C148027188","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q907375","display_name":"Unit testing","level":3,"score":0.7012866735458374},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C7435765","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7705776","display_name":"Test Management Approach","level":5,"score":0.6157814264297485},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777267654","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3519023","display_name":"Test (biology)","level":2,"score":0.5780872106552124},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115903868","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80993","display_name":"Software engineering","level":1,"score":0.5625881552696228},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C169168650","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1675637","display_name":"Keyword-driven testing","level":5,"score":0.5585188865661621},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C109852812","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2406355","display_name":"Test harness","level":5,"score":0.5303400754928589},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C53942775","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1211721","display_name":"Code coverage","level":3,"score":0.4902399182319641},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C128942645","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1568346","display_name":"Test case","level":3,"score":0.462799996137619},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C182122060","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6752328","display_name":"Manual testing","level":5,"score":0.4319690763950348},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777904410","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7397","display_name":"Software","level":2,"score":0.4304695129394531},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C109086967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2509100","display_name":"Test script","level":4,"score":0.42467200756073},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C200601418","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2193887","display_name":"Reliability engineering","level":1,"score":0.36928820610046387},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199360897","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9143","display_name":"Programming language","level":1,"score":0.2736981511116028},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119857082","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2539","display_name":"Machine learning","level":1,"score":0.22651484608650208},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C529173508","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q638608","display_name":"Software development","level":3,"score":0.2094809114933014},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C186846655","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3398377","display_name":"Software construction","level":4,"score":0.11738625168800354},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C151730666","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7205","display_name":"Paleontology","level":1,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C86803240","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q420","display_name":"Biology","level":0,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C152877465","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q208042","display_name":"Regression analysis","level":2,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C127413603","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11023","display_name":"Engineering","level":0,"score":0.0}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":3,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1145/2699688","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2699688","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S142627899","display_name":"ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology","issn_l":"1049-331X","issn":["1049-331X","1557-7392"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319798","host_organization_name":"Association for Computing Machinery","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319798"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Association for Computing Machinery"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:96274","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":null,"pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400854","display_name":"White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I2800616092","host_organization_name":"White Rose University Consortium","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I2800616092"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"acceptedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"","raw_type":"Article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:orbilu.uni.lu:10993/10971","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://orbilu.uni.lu/handle/10993/10971","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306401815","display_name":"Open Repository and Bibliography (University of Luxembourg)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I186903577","host_organization_name":"University of Luxembourg","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I186903577"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"other-oa","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/other-oa","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"ISSTA (2013); ISSTA 2013, July 15","raw_type":"peer reviewed"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"pmh:oai:orbilu.uni.lu:10993/10971","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://orbilu.uni.lu/handle/10993/10971","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306401815","display_name":"Open Repository and Bibliography (University of Luxembourg)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I186903577","host_organization_name":"University of Luxembourg","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I186903577"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"other-oa","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/other-oa","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"ISSTA (2013); ISSTA 2013, July 15","raw_type":"peer reviewed"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/G3000904490","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"EP/K030353/1","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320334627","funder_display_name":"Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G5515407205","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"EP/I010386/1","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320334627","funder_display_name":"Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G5906058032","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"EP/K030353/1 (\u201cEXOGEN\u201d) and EP/I010386/1 (\u201cRE-COST: REducing the Cost of Oracles in Software Testing\u201d)","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320334627","funder_display_name":"Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council"}],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320323299","display_name":"Norges Forskningsr\u00e5d","ror":"https://ror.org/00epmv149"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320334627","display_name":"Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council","ror":"https://ror.org/0439y7842"}],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":46,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W1526710119","https://openalex.org/W1562185237","https://openalex.org/W1965194038","https://openalex.org/W1971650562","https://openalex.org/W1976727279","https://openalex.org/W1977321274","https://openalex.org/W1992320755","https://openalex.org/W1993760289","https://openalex.org/W2013711971","https://openalex.org/W2018017297","https://openalex.org/W2022740380","https://openalex.org/W2028990673","https://openalex.org/W2035653731","https://openalex.org/W2037291277","https://openalex.org/W2037343293","https://openalex.org/W2037376210","https://openalex.org/W2041470132","https://openalex.org/W2047694629","https://openalex.org/W2054309922","https://openalex.org/W2058554556","https://openalex.org/W2067436653","https://openalex.org/W2074273322","https://openalex.org/W2082274331","https://openalex.org/W2082314913","https://openalex.org/W2092221178","https://openalex.org/W2095414225","https://openalex.org/W2097604249","https://openalex.org/W2099444174","https://openalex.org/W2104577574","https://openalex.org/W2105896632","https://openalex.org/W2109596254","https://openalex.org/W2110311336","https://openalex.org/W2111199933","https://openalex.org/W2114869486","https://openalex.org/W2131195347","https://openalex.org/W2136363516","https://openalex.org/W2143101641","https://openalex.org/W2146177878","https://openalex.org/W2163851162","https://openalex.org/W2166870754","https://openalex.org/W2171451409","https://openalex.org/W2172260321","https://openalex.org/W2611408422","https://openalex.org/W3148345308","https://openalex.org/W4244443567","https://openalex.org/W4388727850"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W2371098008","https://openalex.org/W2784516856","https://openalex.org/W2030543707","https://openalex.org/W606389459","https://openalex.org/W2560965237","https://openalex.org/W4308574798","https://openalex.org/W2923286349","https://openalex.org/W2245279861","https://openalex.org/W2135105612","https://openalex.org/W4226499507"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Work":[0],"on":[1,151,174,199],"automated":[2,138,218],"test":[3,12,37,41,107,140,205,219],"generation":[4,108,141,206,220],"has":[5,72,77],"produced":[6],"several":[7],"tools":[8,221],"capable":[9],"of":[10,25,54,67,106,122,136,186],"generating":[11],"data":[13],"which":[14],"achieves":[15],"high":[16],"structural":[17],"coverage":[18,168],"over":[19],"a":[20,26,120],"program.":[21],"In":[22],"the":[23,36,52,57,65,87,103,134,175,184,201],"absence":[24],"specification,":[27],"developers":[28],"are":[29],"expected":[30],"to":[31,63,82,157,170,211],"manually":[32,129],"construct":[33],"or":[34],"verify":[35],"oracle":[38],"for":[39,56,74],"each":[40],"input.":[42],"Nevertheless,":[43],"it":[44],"is":[45,61],"assumed":[46],"that":[47],"these":[48],"generated":[49],"tests":[50,128,132],"ease":[51],"task":[53],"testing":[55,60],"developer,":[58],"as":[59,166],"reduced":[62],"checking":[64],"results":[66,193],"tests.":[68],"While":[69],"this":[70,93,112],"assumption":[71,94],"persisted":[73],"decades,":[75],"there":[76,178],"been":[78],"no":[79,180],"conclusive":[80],"evidence":[81],"date":[83],"confirming":[84],"it.":[85],"However,":[86,173],"limited":[88],"adoption":[89],"in":[90,160,183],"industry":[91],"indicates":[92],"may":[95],"not":[96,194],"be":[97,223],"correct,":[98],"and":[99,130,213],"calls":[100],"into":[101],"question":[102],"practical":[104],"value":[105],"tools.":[109],"To":[110],"investigate":[111],"issue,":[113],"we":[114],"performed":[115],"two":[116],"controlled":[117],"experiments":[118],"comparing":[119],"total":[121],"97":[123],"subjects":[124],"split":[125],"between":[126],"writing":[127,131],"with":[133],"aid":[135],"an":[137],"unit":[139],"tool,":[142],"E":[143],"vo":[144],"S":[145],"uite":[146],".":[147],"We":[148],"found":[149,189],"that,":[150],"one":[152],"hand,":[153,177],"tool":[154],"support":[155],"leads":[156],"clear":[158],"improvements":[159,212],"commonly":[161],"applied":[162],"quality":[163],"metrics":[164],"such":[165],"code":[167],"(up":[169],"300%":[171],"increase).":[172],"other":[176],"was":[179],"measurable":[181],"improvement":[182],"number":[185],"bugs":[187],"actually":[188],"by":[190,226],"developers.":[191],"Our":[192],"only":[195],"cast":[196],"some":[197],"doubt":[198],"how":[200],"research":[202],"community":[203],"evaluates":[204],"tools,":[207],"but":[208],"also":[209],"point":[210],"future":[214],"work":[215],"necessary":[216],"before":[217],"will":[222],"widely":[224],"adopted":[225],"practitioners.":[227]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":3},{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":13},{"year":2024,"cited_by_count":12},{"year":2023,"cited_by_count":7},{"year":2022,"cited_by_count":10},{"year":2021,"cited_by_count":10},{"year":2020,"cited_by_count":7},{"year":2019,"cited_by_count":10},{"year":2018,"cited_by_count":12},{"year":2017,"cited_by_count":6},{"year":2016,"cited_by_count":6},{"year":2015,"cited_by_count":3}],"updated_date":"2026-03-29T08:15:47.926485","created_date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00"}
