Software Quality: Views and Purviews

Abstract

Few topics engender more diversity of view and opinion than “quality.” The term is often used with the modifier “high” implied; only an explicit reference to low quality requires a modifier. An assertion such as “that’s a quality automobile” or “quality goes in before the name goes on” needs no clarification that high quality is intended. What is embodied in the term “quality” or how an assessment intends to measure it are issues that evoke major disagreements. Consider the differences in perceptions and reactions to the assertion, “that person is a quality teacher.” The attributes of a teacher that elicit praise by students vary greatly among the evaluators, simply because a match in learning approach and teaching style is the key to a successful experience.