Improving Technical Reviews: Metrics, Conditions for Quality, and Linguistic Considerations to Minimize Errors

Tóth, Gabriella (2025) Improving Technical Reviews: Metrics, Conditions for Quality, and Linguistic Considerations to Minimize Errors. INFOCOMMUNICATIONS JOURNAL, 17 (3). pp. 62-72. ISSN 2061-2079

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Abstract

This paper presents a systematic methodology for evaluating the quality of technical reviews in software development, aiming to address the issue of ineffective reviews and their impact on product quality. The methodology, grounded in literature review, identifies key factors for highquality reviews, including planning, reviewer commitment, and meaningful feedback. It emphasizes linguistic clarity and accuracy, drawing lessons from the Therac-25 case, where poor documentation contributed to fatal accidents. The paper analyzes specific linguistic issues like negative structures, passive voice, and terminology, highlighting their impact on comprehension. The methodology's effectiveness is validated through a Lean Six Sigma project in a large software development company, resulting in significant improvements. These include a 60% improvement in the Technical Review Quality KPI, a 29% reduction in customer-reported faults related to reviews, and the elimination of TL9000 non-conformities. This case study demonstrates the practical applicability of the framework and its potential for significant impact. The paper concludes by highlighting the importance of linguistic considerations in ensuring safer and more effective software products. Future research directions include extending the methodology to other types of artifacts and exploring textual analysis of reviewer feedback for deeper insights into the review process.

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