Quality Model for the Reference Manager Tools domain

name: Reference Manager Tools QM version: 1.0 date: 11-Nov-2005 description: This QM has been constructed as a result of a work in the domain of reference manager tools done in a PhD course of the Software program of the Software department (LSI) of the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC). comments: This QM has been constructed by Francisco Segovia Mora and Lidia Lopez Cuesta. Supervised by Carme Quer (GESSI). screen capture: here.

1. Functionality(characteristic)
   The capability of the software product to provide functions which meet stated and implied needs when the software is used under specified conditions.
   1. Suitability(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to provide an appropriate set of functions for specified tasks and user objectives.
      1. Library Suitability(subcharacteristic)
         Groups the attributes related to the library suitability
         1. Management of Libraries(derived_attribute)
            Support to the management of libraries
            1. Create Libraries(basic_attribute)
               Possibility of adding reference libraries
            2. Openning Libraries(basic_attribute)
               Possibility of openning existing reference libraries, in order to manage and use its references
            3. Removing Libraries(basic_attribute)
               ossibility of removing reference libraries
            4. Number of Libraries(basic_attribute)
               Maxim number of libraries that can be created
            5. Number of References per Library(basic_attribute)
               Maxim number of references that may be stored in a library
         2. Advanced Library actions(derived_attribute)
            Advanced actions supported and related with the management of libraries
            1. Copy references between libraries(basic_attribute)
               Posiibility to copy references between two different libraries
            2. Multi-user Access(basic_attribute)
               Capability of the tool to be used by several users, all of them managing references stored in it.
            3. Recovering Damaged Libraries(basic_attribute)
               Capability to recover as many references as is possible from a damaged library
            4. Merging Libraries(basic_attribute)
               Capability to join the references of two libraries in just one library
            5. Showed Reference Fields(basic_attribute)
               Capability of changing the fields that are showed for the list of references of the library window
            6. Default Library(basic_attribute)
               Capability to assign a library to open automatically every time the tool is started
      2. Reference Suitability(subcharacteristic)
         Groups the attributes related to the reference suitability
         1. Management of References(derived_attribute)
            Support to the management of references
            1. Entering References(basic_attribute)
               Possibility to add a reference, editing its information, to a reference library
            2. Openning References(basic_attribute)
               Possibility to open references to display and edit all of the information associated with the reference.
            3. Pre-viewing References(basic_attribute)
               List of bibliographic styles in witch it is possible of displaying the selected reference as it will be formatted for a document.
            4. Removing References(basic_attribute)
               Possibility to delete references
            5. Selecting References(basic_attribute)
               Capability to select one or more references to work with it/them.
            6. Showing and Working with a Subset of References(basic_attribute)
               Capability to select a subset of bibliographic references in a library and work with just these references.
            7. Reference Size(basic_attribute)
               Maxim size of a reference
         2. Online Bibliographic Databases(derived_attribute)
            Capabilities related with the use and search of references in bibliographic databases. It is possible to have a direct connection among the reference manager tool and the online bibliographic database. Usually this connection is given by using the Z39.50 protocol. For these catalogues and databases, it is not necessary to use import/export references suitability.
            1. Connecting to a remote database(basic_attribute)
               Capability to connect the tool to remote bibliographic databases that are available online
            2. Search in remote databases(basic_attribute)
               Capability to search references in internet available bibliographic databases
            3. Copy references from remote databases(basic_attribute)
               Capability to copy searched references in a remote database to a library in the tool
            4. Predefinition of Connection Files(derived_attribute)
               Capability to use connection files to remote bibliographic databases, and to create new connection files
               1. Predefined Connection Files(basic_attribute)
                  List of connection files provided by the tool.
               2. Managing Connection Files(basic_attribute)
                  Capability to create new connection files to facilitate the connection to online bibliographic databases or editing existing ones.
         3. Importing References(derived_attribute)
            Capability of entering references from files
            1. From non-Tagged Text Files(basic_attribute)
               Capability to import references from flat text files.
            2. From Tagged Text Files(basic_attribute)
               Capability to import references from tagged text files.
            3. Predefinition of Import Filters(derived_attribute)
               Provision of predefined import formats to obtain information from external sources, as for example reference databases.
               1. Predefined Import Filters(basic_attribute)
                  List of import filters provided by the tool
               2. Managing Predefined Import Filters(basic_attribute)
                  Possibility of adding new import filters or editing predefined import filters
            4. Management of Import Filters(derived_attribute)
               
               1. Adding Import Filters(basic_attribute)
                  Possibility to add an export format
               2. Modifying Import Filters(basic_attribute)
                  Possibility of modifying an import format
               3. Removing Import Filters(basic_attribute)
                  Possibility of removing an export format
            5. Download Databases(basic_attribute)
               List of databases from which is possible to download references from some bibliographic databases, in files that may be imported by using some import filter. Certain Web sites contain a download button that will send the search results to a file that may be imported.
         4. Management of Reference Fields(derived_attribute)
            Capability to store and manage information about each reference in a library.
            1. Reference types(basic_attribute)
               List of the different reference types provided by the tool for storing the references (article, book, etc.). Depending of the reference type, the information managed is different (the set of fields is different).
            2. Predefined Fields(basic_attribute)
               List of predefined fields that are provided by the tool.
            3. Number of Fields(basic_attribute)
               Maximum number of fields that are possible to store for a reference
            4. Spell Checking(basic_attribute)
               Spell checking support for the text content of the fields.
            5. Link Fields(basic_attribute)
               Fields that can contain links to external data (URL, files, OLE, etc.)
            6. Link Formats(basic_attribute)
               List of link formats that the tool identifies (URL, Path of files, etc.)
            7. Multimedia Fields(basic_attribute)
               Fields provided by the tool that can contain multimedia information (video, audio, images, excel, word, etc.)
            8. Image Files(basic_attribute)
               List of types of files that the tool identifies as multimedia files
            9. Attached File Fields(basic_attribute)
               Capability to attach a file to the bibliographic reference
            10. Field Size(basic_attribute)
                Maxim size of an attribute
         5. Advanced Reference actions(derived_attribute)
            Advanced actions supported related with the management of references
            1. Customizing the references view list(basic_attribute)
               Capability to select the fields to show in the list of references. There exists a predefined set of fields that appear in these lists that may be changed.
            2. Customizing fields(basic_attribute)
               Number of fields that may be customized for the user. These fields may be used to store attributes for which there is not any specific field prepared for store them.
            3. Customizing Reference Types(basic_attribute)
               Capability to change the fields associated to a reference type by defining a new field or rename an existing field. Similarly, if there is a field that never will be used, capability to delete it from the reference type so that it no longer appears in the references of the type.
            4. Sorting References(basic_attribute)
               Capability to sort the references of the library by ordering them depending of the values of a field (ascending or descending ordering)
            5. Grouping References(basic_attribute)
               Possibility to create groups of references in a library
            6. Checking Duplicate References(basic_attribute)
               Capability to check for duplicate references in the library
            7. Searching in a Library(derived_attribute)
               Capability to search references in a library and work with them.
               1. Multi-Library Search(basic_attribute)
                  Possibility to search in more that one library at the same time
               2. Combining Results from Different Searches(basic_attribute)
                  Capability to join the results from more than one search
               3. Saving Search Expressions(basic_attribute)
                  Possibility to save the search expression
               4. Proximity Search(basic_attribute)
                  Possibility of specifying proximity comparators in search expressions (START WITH, CONTAIN, etc.)
               5. Search Fields(basic_attribute)
                  Maxim number of fields that we can used for searching
               6. Wild Cards(basic_attribute)
                  Possibility to use wild cards in the search expressions
               7. Comparison Operators(basic_attribute)
                  Comparison operators that can be used to build search expressions (=, <, >, etc.)
               8. Boolean Queries(basic_attribute)
                  Possibility to build queries using boolean operators (AND, OR, etc.)
               9. Empty Fields(basic_attribute)
                  Possibility of search fields that have not value
               10. Range Search Fields(basic_attribute)
                   Possibility of specifying search ranges for date and number fields
            8. Managing and Using Term Lists(derived_attribute)
               Capability of managing and using term lists that contain terms that help in entering bibliographic references to a libraries.
               1. Predefinition of Term Lists(derived_attribute)
                  Existence of predefined term lists. When a library is created these term lists are empty and then new terms are added when new references are added.
                  1. Predefined Terms Lists(basic_attribute)
                     Lists that already exists in a new created library.
               2. Management of Terms List(derived_attribute)
                  Capability to manage existing term lists and to add, modify and remove term lists.
                  1. Openning Term Lists(basic_attribute)
                     Possibility to open term lists to display and manually edit the terms of the list.
                  2. Creating Term Lists(basic_attribute)
                     Possibility of creating a new term list related with a field managed for the bibliographic references
                  3. Removing Term Lists(basic_attribute)
                     Possibility of removing a term list. Deleting term lists does not change the data entered into the library.
                  4. Copying terms among lists(basic_attribute)
                     Capability to copy terms from one list and paste them into another as a way to quickly transfer terms between lists. This is particularly useful if term lists are specific to an individual library.
                  5. Exporting Term Lists(basic_attribute)
                     Capability to export term lists and then import them into other term lists as a way to move complete lists from one library to another. You can also open exported term lists in a word processor to print them.
                  6. Number of Terms Lists(basic_attribute)
                     Maxim number of terms lists that can be defined
                  7. Management of Terns(derived_attribute)
                     Possibility of managing the terms that belong to a list.
                     1. Automatic Updating of Terms in a List(basic_attribute)
                        Capability to automatically update the term lists in a library so they stay current with the data that has been entered into the references. If the user enters a term into a reference, and that term is not in the associated term list already, an alert appers to indicate that that a new term has been added.
                     2. Managing Terms(basic_attribute)
                        Possibility of manually adding and removing terms in a list
                     3. Introducing Synonyms(basic_attribute)
                        Possibility of specifying synonyms of a term
                     4. Number of terms per List(basic_attribute)
                        Maxim number of terms that may be stored in a terms list
         6. Creating Independent Bibliography(derived_attribute)
            Capability to create a bibliography without an associated document.
            1. Draging & Droping(basic_attribute)
               Capability to create an independent bibliography by doing a "drag & drop" from a library
            2. Copying References(basic_attribute)
               Capability to quickly create an independent bilbiography by copying a set of references in a selected style (APA, numbered,...) and paste them into a word processing document, or anywhere else.
            3. Export Fomats(basic_attribute)
               List of formats to which is possible to export a set of bibliographic references.
         7. Printing References(derived_attribute)
            Capability to print a list of references directly from the references manager tool.
            1. Printing References Information(basic_attribute)
               Print the information stored in a set of selected fields of a set of selected references. No output style.
            2. Printing References in an Output Style(basic_attribute)
               Print a set of selected references in an output style (APA, numbered, IEEE, LNCS, ...)
            3. Printing References as a Subject Bibliography(basic_attribute)
               Capability to print a set of references as a subject bibliography. A general bibliography is a continuous listing of citations in a particular order. A subject bibliography is made up of smaller listings, each appearing under a distinct heading. Despite the name, a subject bibliography can be based on any reference field or combination of fields.
      3. Writing Documents Suitability(subcharacteristic)
         Groups attributes related with the functionalities offered by the tool for facilitating to write documents that need to include references.
         1. Including references in a document(derived_attribute)
            Capability to facilitate the introduction of references managed by the tool in a document.
            1. Cite While you Write(basic_attribute)
               List of word processor tools that support the cite while you write facility (MS Word, WordPerfect, etc.). Cite while you write consists on having commands into a word?s tools menus to give the user direct access to his/her references while writing.
            2. Choosing the Bibliographic Style(basic_attribute)
               List of output styles that are offered, and that may be choosed for the inclusion of references in a document.
            3. Export Traveling Library(basic_attribute)
               Capability to create a library from the references used in a document. This allows the user to use the document on a computer that does not contain a copy of the complete library.
            4. Inserting from Several Libraries(basic_attribute)
               Capability to cite references from multiple libraries. Simply openning the selected libraries before you begin inserting citations.
            5. Adding Notes into References(basic_attribute)
               Capability to include notes in the references of a document
            6. Adding Cites in a Note(basic_attribute)
               Capability to add cites in a foot note.
            7. Managing Cites in a Document(basic_attribute)
               Capaiblity to edit, change or delete cites in a document
            8. Removing the Links Between the Document and the Reference Manager(basic_attribute)
               For sending the document to a publisher, or for sending the document to a friend or colleague
         2. Management of Templates(derived_attribute)
            Capability of including manuscript templates that make it easy to set up a document for electronic submission to a publisher. When one of these templates is used, many formatting issues are already set up for your target publication, such as proper margins, headings, pagination, line spacing, title page, font type and size, etc
            1. Predefined Document Templates(basic_attribute)
               List of document templates provided to facilitate the submission to publishers
            2. Creating new Document Templates(basic_attribute)
               Capability to create new document templates from the guidelines of the publishers.
         3. Creating Independent Bibliography(derived_attribute)
            Capability to create a bibliography without an associated document.
            1. Draging & Droping(basic_attribute)
               Capability to create an independent bibliography by doing a "drag & drop" from a library
            2. Copying References(basic_attribute)
               Capability to quickly create an independent bilbiography by copying a set of references in a selected style (APA, numbered,...) and paste them into a word processing document, or anywhere else.
            3. Export Fomats(basic_attribute)
               List of formats to which is possible to export a set of bibliographic references.
   2. Accuracy(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to provide the right or agreed results or effects with the needed degree of precision.
      1. Effectiveness(subcharacteristic)
         The capability to provide a decided, decisive or desired effect.
         1. Self Test Results(subcharacteristic)
            Provision of mechanisms to perform direct tests of the right or agreed results or effects.
         2. Published Test Results(subcharacteristic)
            Third part reports of right or agreed results of the product in similar environments.
      2. Verifiableness(subcharacteristic)
         The capability to provide an apropiate set of functions to verify the effectiveness of the software product.
         1. History Control(subcharacteristic)
            Capability of the product to provide a history of the changes in the data managed.
            1. Management of a history of changes(basic_attribute)
               The tool allows to manage information about the changes that have been done in a library or in a version of the library.
            2. Registration of changes(basic_attribute)
               Capability to store the changes done in the data managed by the tool. The history of changes allow the control of changes done.
            3. Configuration of the registration of changes(basic_attribute)
               Capability to decide if the changes in data have to be automatically registered, and to configure some other aspecst (i.e. the information registered about changes).
         2. Data Versioning(subcharacteristic)
            Capability of the product to store/provide versions of the data managed by the system.
            1. Management of library versions(basic_attribute)
               Capability to manage versions of the user libraries.
            2. Configuration of library versions(basic_attribute)
               Capability to choose an automantic management of versions, and to decide which information the user wants to register about every version.
         3. Logging Capabilities(subcharacteristic)
            Logging mechanisms implemented into the system.
            1. Import Log Files(basic_attribute)
               Capability to back up in a file the references retrieved in a particular session of connection to a remote database
            2. Online connections logs(basic_attribute)
               Maintenance of log files with information of the internet online import and search operations
   3. Interoperability(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to interact with one or more specified systems.
      1. Direct interoperability(subcharacteristic)
         Capability of direct interoperation with other software products
         1. Interoperability by means of Protocols(subcharacteristic)
            Capability to directly interact with other products by means of supported protocols.
            1. Z39.50 import/search(basic_attribute)
               Capability to have a direct connection with bibliographic catalogues and databases by means of the Z39.50 protocol. This protocol is supported by most library catalog and bibliographic databases.
         2. Interoperability by means of APIs(subcharacteristic)
            Capability to directly interact with other products by means of API libraries provided.
            1. Interoperability with Word Processors(derived_attribute)
               Supports of interoperability wiht Word Processing Tools
               1. Word Processors Interoperacility(basic_attribute)
                  List of word processor tools supported by the reference manager to easily add citations and references to the texts.
               2. Importing Travelling Bibliography(basic_attribute)
                  A Traveling Library allows to reformat references in a Word document even when the library is not available. It is possible if the user is travelling (he/she brings the traveling bibliography in the laptop), or if the user is collaborating with other authors (he/she can give other authors the traveling library to supply reference information).
            2. Interoperability with tool versions on handled devices(derived_attribute)
               Supports interoperability with sincronization software for tool versions on handled devices
               1. Synchronizing with PDAs(basic_attribute)
                  Capability to enter references into a desktop version of the reference manager tool or into a PDA version, and then synchronize files between both using a standard HotSync command.
      2. Indirect interoperability(subcharacteristic)
         Capability indirect interoperation with other products by exchanging data files.
         1. Interoperability by means of Import Formats(subcharacteristic)
            Capability of interact with other products by means of Import Formats.
            1. Predefinition of Import Filters(derived_attribute)
               Provision of predefined import formats to obtain information from external sources, as for example reference databases.
               1. Predefined Import Filters(basic_attribute)
                  List of import filters provided by the tool
               2. Managing Predefined Import Filters(basic_attribute)
                  Possibility of adding new import filters or editing predefined import filters
            2. Management of Import Filters(derived_attribute)
               
               1. Adding Import Filters(basic_attribute)
                  Possibility to add an export format
               2. Modifying Import Filters(basic_attribute)
                  Possibility of modifying an import format
               3. Removing Import Filters(basic_attribute)
                  Possibility of removing an export format
         2. Interoperability by means of Export Formats(subcharacteristic)
            Capability of interact with other products by means of Export Formats.
            1. Export Fomats(basic_attribute)
               List of formats to which is possible to export a set of bibliographic references.
         3. Interoperability Among Versions/Platforms(subcharacteristic)
            Groups attributes related with the interoperability of data among different versions of the tool or among versions on different platforms.
            1. Sharing Libraries Among Tool Versions(basic_attribute)
               Capability to share libraries among different versions of the tool.
            2. Sharing Libraries Among Different Platforms(basic_attribute)
               Capability of sharing libraries among the tool installed on different plaforms.
            3. Sharing Libraries with Reference Managers in PDAs(basic_attribute)
               Capability to manage libraries entered by means of a tool version on a desktop from a version on a PDA, and vice versa.
         4. Interoperability Among Tools(subcharacteristic)
            Groups attributes related with the interaction with other tools of the same domain that are on the same or different platforms.
            1. Sharing Libraries Among Tools(basic_attribute)
               Capability to share libraries with other tools of the same domain
            2. Sharing Libraries Among Tools in different Platforms(basic_attribute)
               Capability to share libraries with other tools of the same domain that are on different platforms
   4. Security(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to protect information and data so that unauthorised persons or systems cannot read or modify them and authorised persons or systems are not denied access to them.
      1. Application Security(subcharacteristic)
         Mechanisms to prevent the accidental or deliberated unauthorized access to the product functionality.
         1. Provided by the Application(subcharacteristic)
            Mechanisms provided by the product itself.
            1. Login and password(basic_attribute)
               Login control for accessing to the reference manager tool with user name and password authentication
            2. Access Control Lists (ACL)(basic_attribute)
               List of access privileges to the actions and commands of the reference manager tool
         2. Provided for Third Parties(subcharacteristic)
            Mechanisms provided by the product with the aid of third party organizations.
            1. File system users and Access Control Lists(basic_attribute)
               Possibility of restricting the access privileges to the reference manager tool using the file system users and ACL (read, write, delete, open, etc.)
            2. File Attributes(basic_attribute)
               Possibility of restricting the access privileges to the reference manager tool using the attributes of the libraries files (share, exclusive, etc.)
      2. Data Security(subcharacteristic)
         Mechanisms to prevent the accidental or deliberated unauthorized access to the data managed by the product.
         1. Stored data(subcharacteristic)
            Mechanisms to prevent the unauthorized access to the data stored by the product.
         2. Transmitted Data(subcharacteristic)
            Mechanisms to prevent the unauthorized access to the data transmitted by the product.
   5. Functionality Compliance(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to adhere to standards, conventions or regulations in laws and similar prescriptions relating to functionality.
2. Reliability(characteristic)
   The capability of the software product to maintain a specified level of performance when used under specified conditions.
   1. Maturity(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to avoid failure as a result of faults in the software.
      1. Product based(subcharacteristic)
         Grade of maturity measured taking into account observable features related with the product.
         1. Product History(subcharacteristic)
            Historic data of the product wich leading to the provision of more mature versions over the time.
            1. Time of the Product in the Market(basic_attribute)
               Time of the Product from its appearance in the Market
            2. Product Versions and Patches(basic_attribute)
               Product versions and patches existing from the appearance of the product in the market.
            3. Errors detected and corrected.(basic_attribute)
               Errors detected and corrected in the product from its appearance in the market.
         2. Robustness(subcharacteristic)
            Mechanisms to maintain a history of product faults affecting the system opperation.
            1. Robustness Test Results(subcharacteristic)
               Robustness deduced from the test results of the product.
               1. Robustness Self-Test Results(subcharacteristic)
                  Robustness deduced from self-test results.
               2. Robustness Published-Test Results(subcharacteristic)
                  Robustness deduced from published test results.
      2. Vendor based(subcharacteristic)
         Grade of maturity measured taking into account observable features related with the vendor/constructor.
         1. Results in the global market(derived_attribute)
            Results of the vendor in the global market.
            1. Company budgets(basic_attribute)
               Budgets of the company in the global market.
            2. Company sales(basic_attribute)
               Sales of the company in the global market.
         2. Results in the domain market(derived_attribute)
            Results of the vendor in the market corresponding to the software product domain.
            1. Product budgets(basic_attribute)
               Budgets obtained from the sales of the product.
            2. Product sales(basic_attribute)
               Sales of the product.
         3. Vendor quality(basic_attribute)
            Certificates obtained by the vendor of its development software process.
   2. Fault Tolerance(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to maintain a specified level of performance in cases of software faults or of infringement of its specified interface.
      1. Transparency(subcharacteristic)
         Capacity of the product to keep up its operation without making the users aware of its faults.
      2. Tolerance Level(subcharacteristic)
         Capability of the product to be configured to keep with its operation without been stopped by certain tolerable level of failure.
      3. Failover Capabilities(subcharacteristic)
         Mechanisms provided by the product to keep up with its opperation in case of failure.
         1. Recovering Damaged Libraries(basic_attribute)
            Capability to recover as many references as is possible from a damaged library
   3. Recoverability(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to re-establish a specified level of performance and recover the data directly affected in the case of failure.
      1. System Recoberability(subcharacteristic)
         Capacity of the product to restore its level of performance after faults.
      2. Data Recoberability(subcharacteristic)
         Capacity of the product to restore the data managed after faults.
         1. User Data(subcharacteristic)
            Capacity of the product to restore the data of the users after faults.
            1. Built in Backup and Recovery Facilities(derived_attribute)
               Supports facilities of built in backup and recovery
               1. Doing Backups(basic_attribute)
                  Its possible to do backups of data managed by the tool
               2. Automatic Backups(basic_attribute)
                  Its possible to do backups each period of time.
               3. Recovery of backups(basic_attribute)
                  Its possible to recover the imformation stored in a buckup.
               4. Recovering Damaged Libraries(basic_attribute)
                  Capability to recover as many references as is possible from a damaged library
            2. File System Backup and Recovery(derived_attribute)
               Its possible to use the facilities of the file system for doing backups and recovery of information
               1. File System Backups(basic_attribute)
                  Its possible to backup the data managed by the tool.
               2. File System Recovery(basic_attribute)
                  Its possible to restore data that has been buckedup with the help of the file system.
         2. System Data(subcharacteristic)
            Capacity of the product to restore the data of the system after faults. System data is information about the configuration of the tool, preferences, users, etc.
            1. System Data Built in Backup and Recovery Facilities(derived_attribute)
               Supports facilities of built in backup and recovery of information of the tool itself
               1. System Data - Doing Backups(basic_attribute)
                  It is possible to do backups of system data (configuration preferences, new defined filters, etc.)
               2. System Data - Automatic Backups(basic_attribute)
                  Its possible to do backups each period of system data (configuration preferences, new defined filters, etc.)
               3. System Data - Recovery of backups(basic_attribute)
                  Its possible to recover the information of system data (configuration preferences, new defined filters, etc.)
            2. System Data - File System Backup and Recovery(derived_attribute)
               Its possible to use the facilities of the file system for doing backups and recovery of information related with the tool itself.
               1. System Data - File System Backups(basic_attribute)
                  Its possible to backup the system data (configuration preferences, new defined filters, etc.) by using facilities of the file system
               2. System Data - File System Recovery(basic_attribute)
                  Its possible to restore system data (configuration preferences, new defined filters, etc.) that has been buckedup with the help of the file system.
   4. Reliability Compliance(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to adhere to standards, conventions or regulations relating to reliability.
3. Usability(characteristic)
   The capability of the software product to be understood, learned, used and attractive tot the user, when used under specified conditions.
   1. Understandability(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to enable the user to understand whether the software is suitable, and how it can be used for particular tasks and conditions of use.
      1. Interface Understandability(subcharacteristic)
         Effort for recognizing the logical concept and its applicability by means of its interface.
         1. Interface Standards, and standardization(basic_attribute)
            How well standardized are events and elements of the interface, including the integration with the operating system environment, its graphical elements and the related events
         2. Predictability(basic_attribute)
            Capability to predict which will be the results of the actions represented by buttons, menu options, toolbars etc. present in the interface. Is it easy for users to relate the interface icons, colors, dialogs etc. to the actions that they perform.
         3. Supported Interface Languages(basic_attribute)
            List of languages supported by the interface.
         4. Supported character sets(basic_attribute)
            Character sets that can be depicted, introduced in the interface.
      2. Global Structure(subcharacteristic)
         Effort for recognizing the logical concept and its applicability by means of its global structure.
         1. Dialog Structure Standards, and standardization(basic_attribute)
            How well standardized are events and elements of the interface, including the integration with the operating system environment, its graphical elements and the related events
         2. Well defined architecture(basic_attribute)
            How recognizable and differentiable are the application components. How intuitively are they related to the set of actions that they perform.
   2. Learnability(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to enable the user to learn its application.
      1. Documentation(subcharacteristic)
         Documentation which can be used to learn the software product.
         1. Provided Documentation(subcharacteristic)
            Documentation provided with the software product.
            1. Documentation and user manuals (DUM)(derived_attribute)
               Existence and quality of documentation and user manuals
               1. Documentation Formats(basic_attribute)
                  List of formats in which documentation is provided.
               2. Glossary Existence(basic_attribute)
                  Is it provided a glossary of terms for understanding better the documentation.
               3. Global Look(basic_attribute)
                  Are all the documents simetric in its structure and global look.
               4. Screen Captures(basic_attribute)
                  Do the documents illustrate the explanations with screen captures.
               5. Index Existence(basic_attribute)
                  Do the manuals include a usefull index.
            2. Help Utilitity(derived_attribute)
               Facilities related with the help option in the tool
               1. Online Help(basic_attribute)
                  Is there an Internet online help available?
               2. Documentation Access(basic_attribute)
                  Capability of access documentation and user manuals by the help of the tool
               3. Contextual Help(basic_attribute)
                  Capability of showing information related with the screen in which the user is working when he/she chooses the help option.
               4. FAQs and Tips(basic_attribute)
                  Does the tool includes a list of FAQs or Tips
            3. Installation/Implementation manuals(derived_attribute)
               Help in the installation and implementation of the tool in the customer platform.
               1. Manual Formats(basic_attribute)
                  List of formats in which the installation manual is provided.
               2. Screen Captures in the Installation Manual(basic_attribute)
                  Do the documents illustrate the explanations with screen captures.
               3. Guides step-to-step(basic_attribute)
                  Existence of step-to-step guides
         2. External Documentation(subcharacteristic)
            External documentation other than the one provided with the software product.
            1. Customers Support(derived_attribute)
               Possibility of having support when doubts or problems arise in the use of the tool.
               1. Help Desk Existence(basic_attribute)
                  Does the company provider of the application or their representatives have a customer support department?.
               2. Help Desk Qualified People(basic_attribute)
                  Level of knowns and suitability of people in the department for attending customers.
               3. Help Desk Volum(basic_attribute)
                  Number of people in the department of support to customers for each customer/users attended by the department.
               4. Communication Channels(basic_attribute)
                  List of ways by means of which its possible to interact with the department of attendance to the customer.
            2. Documentation Published(derived_attribute)
               Existence of documents published that may help in the implementation and use of the tool in the customer organization.
               1. List of documents(basic_attribute)
                  List of documents and relevance and quality of each document.
      2. Training(subcharacteristic)
         Training mechanisms provided to learn the software product.
         1. Vendors Provided Training(basic_attribute)
            The training is provided by the supplier of the application
         2. Third Party Provided Training(basic_attribute)
            The training may be provided by organizations or individuals other than the vendor of the tool.
         3. Tutorials(basic_attribute)
            There are multimedia curses provided with software package or available online
         4. Demos Edited(basic_attribute)
            There exist demos edited to facilitate the self-training of users
   3. Operability(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to enable the user to operate and control it.
      1. System Taylorability(subcharacteristic)
         Mechanisms of the product to be configured to operate in an specific way.
         1. Global Sytem Taylorability(subcharacteristic)
            Mechanisms of the product to be configured globaly to all its users to operate in an specific way.
            1. Define Sort Capabilities(basic_attribute)
               Possibility to define the sort capabilities (sort attributes, sort language, etc.)
            2. Duplicate Check Configuration(basic_attribute)
               Possibility to configure the options and criteria to detect duplicate references
            3. Indexed Fieds Definition(basic_attribute)
               Possibility to specify the fields for wich the references are indexed
            4. Spell Checking Options(basic_attribute)
               Possibility to configure the spell checking options (default language, case sensitive, etc.)
            5. Library System Taylorability(derived_attribute)
               Capability to change the aspect and the content of the references that appear in the library window
               1. Showed Reference Fields(basic_attribute)
                  Capability of changing the fields that are showed for the list of references of the library window
               2. Default Library(basic_attribute)
                  Capability to assign a library to open automatically every time the tool is started
            6. References System Taylorability(derived_attribute)
               Capability to configure different aspects of the functionality related to the references management
               1. Managing Connection Files(basic_attribute)
                  Capability to create new connection files to facilitate the connection to online bibliographic databases or editing existing ones.
               2. Managing Predefined Import Filters(basic_attribute)
                  Possibility of adding new import filters or editing predefined import filters
               3. Customizing the references view list(basic_attribute)
                  Capability to select the fields to show in the list of references. There exists a predefined set of fields that appear in these lists that may be changed.
               4. Customizing fields(basic_attribute)
                  Number of fields that may be customized for the user. These fields may be used to store attributes for which there is not any specific field prepared for store them.
               5. Customizing Reference Types(basic_attribute)
                  Capability to change the fields associated to a reference type by defining a new field or rename an existing field. Similarly, if there is a field that never will be used, capability to delete it from the reference type so that it no longer appears in the references of the type.
               6. Creating Term Lists(basic_attribute)
                  Possibility of creating a new term list related with a field managed for the bibliographic references
            7. Writing in Documents Taylorability(derived_attribute)
               Capability to change the predefined way in which the references are writen in documents
               1. Creating new Document Templates(basic_attribute)
                  Capability to create new document templates from the guidelines of the publishers.
            8. Import/Export Filters Taylorability(derived_attribute)
               Capability to configure different aspects related with the importation and exportation of references by means of filters.
               1. Managing Predefined Import Filters(basic_attribute)
                  Possibility of adding new import filters or editing predefined import filters
               2. Managing Predefined Export Filters(basic_attribute)
                  Possibility of adding new export filters or modifying the predefined export filters
            9. History Control / Data Versioning Taylorability(derived_attribute)
               Capability to configure the registration of changes in the managed data or to configure the regitration of versions of data.
               1. Configuration of the registration of changes(basic_attribute)
                  Capability to decide if the changes in data have to be automatically registered, and to configure some other aspecst (i.e. the information registered about changes).
               2. Configuration of library versions(basic_attribute)
                  Capability to choose an automantic management of versions, and to decide which information the user wants to register about every version.
         2. User Sytem Taylorability(subcharacteristic)
            Mechanisms provided by the product to be configured for its use for one user to operate in an specific way.
      2. Appearance Taylorability(subcharacteristic)
         Mechanisms provided by the product to configure its external appearance.
         1. User Appearance Taylorability(subcharacteristic)
            Mechanisms provided by the product to be configured for its use for one user in its external appearance.
         2. Global Appearance Taylorability(subcharacteristic)
            Mechanisms provided by the product to be configured globaly to all its users in its external appearance.
            1. Library Window Appearance Taylorability(derived_attribute)
               Capability to change the appearance of the library window globaly for all the tool.
               1. Change of the Library window appearance(basic_attribute)
                  List of aspects that may be changed in the library window
            2. General Interaction Facilities(basic_attribute)
               Capability of facilitat the use of the product by means of interaction facilities
      3. Interaction Aspects(subcharacteristic)
         Groups attributes related with aspects that facilitate the use of the product
         1. General Interaction Facilities(basic_attribute)
            Capability of facilitat the use of the product by means of interaction facilities
   4. Attractiveness(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to be attractive to the user.
      1. Appearance Taylorability(subcharacteristic)
         Mechanisms provided by the product to configure its external appearance.
         1. User Appearance Taylorability(subcharacteristic)
            Mechanisms provided by the product to be configured for its use for one user in its external appearance.
         2. Global Appearance Taylorability(subcharacteristic)
            Mechanisms provided by the product to be configured globaly to all its users in its external appearance.
            1. Library Window Appearance Taylorability(derived_attribute)
               Capability to change the appearance of the library window globaly for all the tool.
               1. Change of the Library window appearance(basic_attribute)
                  List of aspects that may be changed in the library window
            2. General Interaction Facilities(basic_attribute)
               Capability of facilitat the use of the product by means of interaction facilities
      2. Navegability(subcharacteristic)
         Mechanisms provided by the product to make easy to navigate.
   5. Usability Compliance(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to adhere to standards, conventions, style guides or regulations relating to usability.
4. Efficiency(characteristic)
   The capability of the software product to provide appropriate performance, relative to the amount of resources used, under stated conditions.
   1. Time Behaviour(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to provide appropriate response and processing times and throughput rates when performing its function, under stated conditions.
      1. Average Search Time(basic_attribute)
         Average time required by the application for search a reference in a library
      2. Average Import Time(basic_attribute)
         Average time to import a specific number of references from differents file formats (text, XML, etc.)
      3. Average Online Search Time(basic_attribute)
         Average time required by the application to search a reference on an internet database
      4. Average Online Import Time(basic_attribute)
         Average time required by the application to import a specific number of references from online database
      5. Average Sorting Time(basic_attribute)
         Average time required by the application for sorting references
      6. Average Checking Duplicates Time(basic_attribute)
         Amount of time required by the application for looking for duplicates
   2. Resource Utilisation(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to use appropriate amounts and types of resources when the software performs its function under stated conditions.
      1. Installation(subcharacteristic)
         Resources required by the product during its deployement.
         1. Hardware Platoform(basic_attribute)
            List of possible hardware platforms in which the tool can run.
         2. Operative System(basic_attribute)
            List of possible operative systems in which the tool can run
         3. Other software required(basic_attribute)
            List of other software products necessary to run the tool.
      2. Runtime(subcharacteristic)
         Resources required by the product during its normal operation.
         1. Number of Libraries(basic_attribute)
            Maxim number of libraries that can be created
         2. Number of References per Library(basic_attribute)
            Maxim number of references that may be stored in a library
         3. Reference Size(basic_attribute)
            Maxim size of a reference
         4. Field Size(basic_attribute)
            Maxim size of an attribute
         5. Number of Terms Lists(basic_attribute)
            Maxim number of terms lists that can be defined
         6. Number of terms per List(basic_attribute)
            Maxim number of terms that may be stored in a terms list
   3. Efficiency Compliance(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to adhere to standards or conventions relating to efficiency.
5. Maintainability(characteristic)
   The capability of the software product to be modified. Modifications may include corrections, improvements or adaptation of the software to changes in environment, and in requirements and functional specifications.
   1. Analysability(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to be diagnosed for deficiencies or causes of failures in the software, or for the parts to be modified to be identified.
      1. Analizability of Data(subcharacteristic)
         Capability to offer data to analyze the operation of the product.
         1. History Control(subcharacteristic)
            Capability of the product to provide a history of the changes in the data managed.
            1. Management of a history of changes(basic_attribute)
               The tool allows to manage information about the changes that have been done in a library or in a version of the library.
            2. Registration of changes(basic_attribute)
               Capability to store the changes done in the data managed by the tool. The history of changes allow the control of changes done.
            3. Configuration of the registration of changes(basic_attribute)
               Capability to decide if the changes in data have to be automatically registered, and to configure some other aspecst (i.e. the information registered about changes).
         2. Data Versioning(subcharacteristic)
            Capability of the product to store/provide versions of the data managed by the system.
            1. Management of library versions(basic_attribute)
               Capability to manage versions of the user libraries.
            2. Configuration of library versions(basic_attribute)
               Capability to choose an automantic management of versions, and to decide which information the user wants to register about every version.
         3. Logging Capabilities(subcharacteristic)
            Logging mechanisms implemented into the system.
            1. Import Log Files(basic_attribute)
               Capability to back up in a file the references retrieved in a particular session of connection to a remote database
            2. Online connections logs(basic_attribute)
               Maintenance of log files with information of the internet online import and search operations
      2. Build in Analysis Capabilities(subcharacteristic)
         Capability of the product to allow the navigation.
   2. Changeability(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to enable a specified modification to be implemented.
      1. Development environment(subcharacteristic)
         Depending on the development environment the changeability will be higher.
      2. Development documentation(subcharacteristic)
         Depending on the development documentation the changeability is higher.
   3. Stability(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to avoid unexpected effects from modifications of the software.
      1. Product development stability(subcharacteristic)
         Depending on the platform and technology used during the development the stability will be higher.
      2. Released product stability(subcharacteristic)
         Depending on the versions that appear of the software product, on the patches appeared, and on the stability of the platform for which it is developed, the stability will be higher.
         1. Average Time Between Version Releases(basic_attribute)
            Average time on marked of each new release of the application
         2. Updates Frequency Rate(basic_attribute)
            Average time among updates (patches) of the application
   4. Testability(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to enable modified software to be validated.
   5. Maintainability Compliance(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to adhere to standards or conventions relating to maintainability.
6. Portability(characteristic)
   The capability of the software product to be adapted for different specified environments without applying actions or means other than those provided for this purpose for the software considered.
   1. Adaptability(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to be adapted for different specified environments without applying actions or means other than those provided for this purpose for the software considered.
      1. Hardware Platoform(basic_attribute)
         List of possible hardware platforms in which the tool can run.
      2. Operative System(basic_attribute)
         List of possible operative systems in which the tool can run
   2. Installabitity(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to be installed in a specified environment.
      1. Built-in Installation Facilities(subcharacteristic)
         Build in capabilities of the product to assist on system installation.
         1. Wizard Guided(basic_attribute)
            Existence of a wizard that guides and helps during the installation
      2. Installation Support(subcharacteristic)
         External capabilities to assist the product installation.
         1. Installation/Implementation manuals(derived_attribute)
            Help in the installation and implementation of the tool in the customer platform.
            1. Manual Formats(basic_attribute)
               List of formats in which the installation manual is provided.
            2. Screen Captures in the Installation Manual(basic_attribute)
               Do the documents illustrate the explanations with screen captures.
            3. Guides step-to-step(basic_attribute)
               Existence of step-to-step guides
         2. Customers Support(derived_attribute)
            Possibility of having support when doubts or problems arise in the use of the tool.
            1. Help Desk Existence(basic_attribute)
               Does the company provider of the application or their representatives have a customer support department?.
            2. Help Desk Qualified People(basic_attribute)
               Level of knowns and suitability of people in the department for attending customers.
            3. Help Desk Volum(basic_attribute)
               Number of people in the department of support to customers for each customer/users attended by the department.
            4. Communication Channels(basic_attribute)
               List of ways by means of which its possible to interact with the department of attendance to the customer.
      3. Platform Compatibility(subcharacteristic)
         Capability of the product to be installed in an especific platform.
         1. Hardware Platoform(basic_attribute)
            List of possible hardware platforms in which the tool can run.
         2. Operative System(basic_attribute)
            List of possible operative systems in which the tool can run
   3. Co-existence(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to co-exist with other independent software in a common environment sharing common resources.
      1. Interoperability by means of Protocols(subcharacteristic)
         Capability to directly interact with other products by means of supported protocols.
         1. Z39.50 import/search(basic_attribute)
            Capability to have a direct connection with bibliographic catalogues and databases by means of the Z39.50 protocol. This protocol is supported by most library catalog and bibliographic databases.
      2. Interoperability by means of APIs(subcharacteristic)
         Capability to directly interact with other products by means of API libraries provided.
         1. Interoperability with Word Processors(derived_attribute)
            Supports of interoperability wiht Word Processing Tools
            1. Word Processors Interoperacility(basic_attribute)
               List of word processor tools supported by the reference manager to easily add citations and references to the texts.
            2. Importing Travelling Bibliography(basic_attribute)
               A Traveling Library allows to reformat references in a Word document even when the library is not available. It is possible if the user is travelling (he/she brings the traveling bibliography in the laptop), or if the user is collaborating with other authors (he/she can give other authors the traveling library to supply reference information).
         2. Interoperability with tool versions on handled devices(derived_attribute)
            Supports interoperability with sincronization software for tool versions on handled devices
            1. Synchronizing with PDAs(basic_attribute)
               Capability to enter references into a desktop version of the reference manager tool or into a PDA version, and then synchronize files between both using a standard HotSync command.
   4. Replaceability(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to be used in place of another specified software product for the same purpose in the same environment.
      1. Replaceability Test Results(subcharacteristic)
         Grade of replaceability provided by the product deduced from test results.
      2. Migration(subcharacteristic)
         Replaceability by the migration of data to other tools.
         1. Interoperability Among Versions/Platforms(subcharacteristic)
            Groups attributes related with the interoperability of data among different versions of the tool or among versions on different platforms.
            1. Sharing Libraries Among Tool Versions(basic_attribute)
               Capability to share libraries among different versions of the tool.
            2. Sharing Libraries Among Different Platforms(basic_attribute)
               Capability of sharing libraries among the tool installed on different plaforms.
            3. Sharing Libraries with Reference Managers in PDAs(basic_attribute)
               Capability to manage libraries entered by means of a tool version on a desktop from a version on a PDA, and vice versa.
         2. Interoperability Among Tools(subcharacteristic)
            Groups attributes related with the interaction with other tools of the same domain that are on the same or different platforms.
            1. Sharing Libraries Among Tools(basic_attribute)
               Capability to share libraries with other tools of the same domain
            2. Sharing Libraries Among Tools in different Platforms(basic_attribute)
               Capability to share libraries with other tools of the same domain that are on different platforms
   5. Portability Compliance(subcharacteristic)
      The capability of the software product to adhere to standards or conventions relating to portability.