Towards a Reusable Repository for Web Metrics

In this paper, we introduce a catalogue template as one of the building blocks for a repository of metrics. Particularly, starting from a conceptual quality framework, we thoroughly discuss a catalogue template for product metrics instantiating it with some Web metrics. A catalogue of metrics basically allows evaluators and other stakeholders to have a consultation and reuse mechanism, which starts from a sound specification of the entity type, the attribute definition and motivation, the metric formula, criteria, and application procedures, among other template items. The metrics repository and the cataloguing tool can be appropriately used to support different quality assurance processes such as non-functional requirements specification, quality testing definition, etc., both in the development and maintenance phases. Effective and full-fledged quality assurance processes require not only strategic but also technological support as well.