Computing precision and recall with missing or uncertain ground truth

Abstract

In this paper we present a way to use precision and recall measures in total absence of ground truth. We develop a probabilistic interpretation of both measures and show that, provided a sufficient number of data sources are available, it offers a viable performance measure to compare methods if no ground truth is available. This paper also shows the limitations of the approach, in case a systematic bias is present in all compared methods, but shows that it maintains a very high level of overall coherence and stability. It opens broader perspectives and can be extended to handling partial or unreliable ground truth, as well as levels of prior confidence in the methods it aims to compare. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.