A Conceptual Framework to Support the Management of Technical Debt in Software Testing
Verusca Rocha, Sávio Freire, Nicolli Rios, Cleydiane Lima, Leilane Ferreira Ribeiro, Boris Pérez, Arilo Dias Neto, Hermano Perrelli de Moura, Darío Correal, Manoel G. Mendoça, Rodrigo Oliveira Spinola · Journal of the Association for Information Systems · 2021
Background: Although technical debt (TD) can occur in several software development phases, little is known how TD items can affect testing activities, requiring the identification of TD elements – indicators, causes, effects, and preventive practices – related to those activities. Aims: To investigate the causes, effects, indicators, and preventive practices of test-related debt (TRD). Method: We followed an incremental triangulation process using data collected from a literature review, a survey with experts, and a survey run in the context of the InsighTD project. Results: We found that test, test automation, documentation, defect, people, and infrastructure debt items are related to software testing. In total, the study identified 22 indicators of the presence of TRD, found 87 causes for them, 51 effects of their presence, and 77 preventive practices. Conclusion: Our work summarizes those elements in an interactive conceptual framework to support the management of TD items in software testing.