# What the F-measure doesn't measure: Features, Flaws, Fallacies and Fixes

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1503.06410 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1503.06410/

## Key facts

- Cited by 10 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 22 Mar 2015.

## Built on by (most cited first, 10 of 10)

- [Evaluation Gaps in Machine Learning Practice](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2205.05256/) (2022)
- [A Closer Look at Classification Evaluation Metrics and a Critical Reflection of Common Evaluation Practice](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.16958/) (2024)
- [Matching Exemplar as Next Sentence Prediction (MeNSP): Zero-shot Prompt Learning for Automatic Scoring in Science Education](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2301.08771/) (2023)
- [Shifting the Paradigm: A Diffeomorphism Between Time Series Data Manifolds for Achieving Shift-Invariancy in Deep Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.19921/) (2025)
- [A Real Use Case of Semi-Supervised Learning for Mammogram Classification in a Local Clinic of Costa Rica](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.11696/) (2021)
- [Estimating Agreement by Chance for Sequence Annotation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.11371/) (2024)
- [Identification of Metallic Objects using Spectral Magnetic Polarizability Tensor Signatures: Object Classification](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.06624/) (2021)
- [Exploration and Evaluation of Bias in Cyberbullying Detection with Machine Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.00609/) (2024)
- [Identity resolution of software metadata using Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.23500/) (2025)
- [Multi-Scale Deep Learning for Colon Histopathology: A Hybrid Graph-Transformer Approach](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.02851/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The F-measure or F-score is one of the most commonly used single number measures in Information Retrieval, Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning, but it is based on a mistake, and the flawed assumptions render it unsuitable for use in most contexts! Fortunately, there are better alternatives.