Writing Effective Defect Reports
Introduction
Defect reports are among the most important deliverables to come out of test. They are as important as the test plan and will have more impact on the quality of the product
than most other deliverables from test. It is worth the
effort to learn how to write effective defect reports.
Effective defect reports will:
. Reduce the number of defects returned from development
. Improve the speed of getting defect fixes
. Improve the credibility of test
. Enhance teamwork between test and development
Why do some testers get a much better response from development
than others? Part of the answer lies in the defect report.
Following a few simple rules can smooth the way for a much
more productive environment. The objective is not to write
the perfect defect report, but to write an effective defect
report that conveys the proper message, gets the job done,
and simplifies the process for everyone.
This paper focuses on two aspects of defect reports,
1) the remarks or description and 2) the abstract.
First, lets take a look at the essentials for writing effective remarks.
Defect Remarks
Here are some key points to make sure the next defect report you write is
an effective one.
1. Condense - Say it clearly but briefly
2. Accurate - Is it a defect or could it be user error, misunderstanding, etc.?
3. Neutralize - Just the facts. No zingers. No humor. No emotion.
4. Precise - Explicitly, what is the problem?
5. Isolate - What has been done to isolate the problem?
6. Generalize - What has been done to understand how general the problem is?
7. Re-create - What are the essentials in triggering/re-creating this problem?
(environment, steps,
conditions)
8. Impact - What is the impact to the customer? What is the impact to test?
Sell the defect.
9. Debug - What does development need to make it easier to debug?
(traces, dumps, logs,
immediate access, etc.)
10. Evidence - What documentation will prove the existence of the error?
It is not just good technical writing skills that leads to effective
defect reports. It is more important to make sure that you have asked
and answered the right questions. It is key to make sure that you have
covered the essential items that will be of most benefit to the
intended audience of the defect report.
Essentials for Effective Defect Remarks
