Types of Reviews

Overview

• Three main types of reviews: Walkthrough, Technical Review, Inspection

Walkthrough

• Purpose: Establish common understanding and gather feedback on documents
• Process: Step-by-step presentation led by the document author
• Participants: From different departments; no detailed document study required
• Use Cases: High-level documents (e.g., requirement specifications, UI design)
• Goals:
  • Present the document to stakeholders from both technical and business domains
  • Establish common understanding
  • Validate the proposed solution
• Optional: Dry runs to validate documentation

Technical Review

• Purpose: Achieve consensus on technical content of the document
• Formality: Less formal than an inspection
• Participants: Experts like architects, chief designers, peers; no management
• Process: Documented defect detection involving technical experts
• Leader: Trained moderator or technical expert
• Optional Documentation: Checklists, logging lists, issue logs
• Goals:
  • Assess value of technical concepts and alternatives
  • Inform participants about technical content
  • Establish consistency in technical concepts
  • Ensure correct use of technical concepts

Inspection

• Purpose: Most formal type of review, thorough document checking
• Participants: Peers for examination; no author as leader
• Process: Involves logging defects, phases of logging, discussion, decision
• Leader: Trained moderator
• Documentation: Defects logged in issue log
• Formality: Formal process with entry/exit criteria, rules, checklists
• Metrics: Gathered and analyzed for process optimization
• Goals:
  • Improve document quality
  • Remove defects early
  • Improve product quality
  • Establish common document understanding
  • Learn from defects to improve process