Inspection

What is Inspection?

An inspection is the most formal and rigorous type of review, conducted by a trained moderator using clearly defined roles, checklists, and entry/exit criteria.

Key Characteristics

• Follows a strict, well-defined process with formal roles (author, moderator, reviewers, scribe).
• Uses checklists to guide reviewers in finding common types of defects.
• Defects are logged, tracked, and formally verified as fixed by the moderator.
• Requires more time and planning than informal reviews or walkthroughs.

Benefits of Inspection

Because of its rigor, inspection is highly effective at finding defects early, especially in critical documents like requirements and design specifications, significantly reducing downstream cost of fixing issues.