Finding and ranking research directions for software testing

The percentage of software testing in software development is high; 50 % is often mentioned in the literature. Moreover, the amount of testing is increasing because of the demand for better quality. A survey was carried out to find out where software testing research should be directed. The experts of the participating industry and the research institutes evaluated the issues of testing research. The research method was a derivative of the Delphi method. The most prominent research issues in ranking included process improvement, testing automation with testing tools, and standardization of testing. The process and results of the survey are presented and the need for further research is discussed. This study also shows an example how project steering groups can be used in resolving research priorities.