A Quagmire of Terminology: Verification and Validation, Testing, and Evaluation
Valerie Barr · The Florida AI Research Society · 2001
Software engineering literature presents multiple definitions for the terms verification, validation and testing. The ensuing diA~culties carry into research on the verification and validation (V&V) of intelligent systems. We explore both these areas and then address the additional terminology problems faced when attempting to carry out V&V work in a new domain such as natural language processing (NLP). at very different levels in the software development process. In one usage, the term refers to testing in the small, the exercise of program code with test cases, with a goal of uncovering faults in code by exposing failures. In another usage, the term refers to testing in the large, the entire overall process of verification, validation, and quality analysis and assurance.