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Article
Principles for Examining Predictive Validity: The Case of Information Systems Spending Forecasts
Information Systems Research
  • Fred Collopy, Case Western Reserve University
  • Monica Adya, Marquette University
  • J. Scott Armstrong, University of Pennsylvania
Document Type
Article
Language
eng
Format of Original
10 p.
Publication Date
6-1-1994
Publisher
INFORMS (Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences)
Disciplines
Abstract

Research over two decades has advanced the knowledge of how to assess predictive validity. We believe this has value to information systems (IS) researchers. To demonstrate, we used a widely cited study of IS spending. In that study, price-adjusted diffusion models were proposed to explain and to forecast aggregate U.S. information systems spending. That study concluded that such models would produce more accurate forecasts than would simple linear trend extrapolation. However, one can argue that the validation procedure provided an advantage to the diffusion models. We reexamined the results using an alternative validation procedure based on three principles extracted from forecasting research: (1) use ex ante (out-of-sample) performance rather than the fit to the historical data, (2) use well-accepted models as a basis for comparison, and (3) use an adequate sample of forecasts. Validation using this alternative procedure did confirm the importance of the price- adjustment, but simple trend extrapolations were found to be more accurate than the price-adjusted diffusion models.

Comments

Published version. Information Systems Research, Vol. 5, No. 2 (June 1994): 170-179. DOI. © 1994 INFORMS (Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences). Used with permission.

Monica Adya was affiliated with Case Western Reserve University at the time of publication.

Citation Information
Fred Collopy, Monica Adya and J. Scott Armstrong. "Principles for Examining Predictive Validity: The Case of Information Systems Spending Forecasts" Information Systems Research (1994) ISSN: 1047-7047
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/monica_adya/33/