Project: Analyze and Prioritize Dataverse Backlog

[cmbz]

Overview

Purpose

• To analyze and prioritize the current Dataverse (https://github.com/IQSS/dataverse) issue backlog
• Define and implement a process to monitor and triage new Dataverse repo issues

Motivation

• As of Jun 24, 2024 the main dataverse Github repository has 1116 open issues; the oldest is from 2014.
• The Dataverse Team does not have a comprehensive strategy or process to address this backlog of issues. In contrast, the team recently developed and implemented an approach for managing the current backlog of Community pull requests
• The backlog has proven to be a fruitful source of potential feature and functionality improvements and bug reports from the Community and the core development team.
• Designing and implementing a comprehensive approach to analyze and prioritize the backlog and manage future issues would:
  • Reduce and ideally clear the current backlog
    • Act on Community-identified code defects (275 on Jun 24, 2024)
    • Act on Community-identified software improvement contributions aligning with Dataverse Project priorities
  • Increase transparency about how Community-submitted Dataverse issues are evaluated and prioritized for action
  • Provide the Community with improved GitHub issue and pull request templates

Tasks

• Analyze and Process the Dataverse Backlog
• Develop and Document Backlog Management Policies and Processes
• Recommend and Implement Template and Label Improvements
• Implement Dataverse Backlog Management Processes

Timeline

• Start: July 2024
• End: December 2024

Resources

• Project: Analyze and Reduce Dataverse Backlog

[pdurbin]

Proposal: Analyze Dataverse Backlog

Can we please open this document to the public?

Also, I've "blogged" about my efforts at https://groups.google.com/g/dataverse-dev/c/Pkces_MBqR8/m/Qsp7zrgfBgAJ

[cmbz]

Status: May 2024

• Completed project plan
• Next steps: team review

[cmbz]

Status: June 2024

• Project plan was approved
• Next steps: project launch in July 2024

[cmbz]

Status: July 2024

• Inventory of "Type: Feature" issues was created and is under review

[cmbz]

Status: August 2024

• Announced the project to the community. See Google Groups post.
• Inventory of bugs was created for review (task complements the Type: Feature review process)
• Dataverse prioritization team began reviewing issues on the Type: Feature list
• @sbarbosadataverse began reviewing the Type: Bug list
• Issues older than 2020-08-18 and that were not Type: Feature were closed.
  • Some closed issues were reopened based on Community feedback.
  • Monitoring of Community responses will continue

[cmbz]

Status: September 2024

• The first pass review of remaining open issues created by individual core team members is complete; team members have closed issues they determined are duplicates, describe work that has already been completed, etc. Remaining issues will be evaluated in the second pass, to begin in October 2024.

[cmbz]

Status: October 2024

• Team continued to review open feature requests.
• Evaluation of remaining issues from core team members review was delayed and will begin in November.