Peer Reviews and Inspections

Peer Reviews and Inspections are formal evaluation processes where team members examine the requirements documentation to identify defects, improve quality, and ensure compliance with standards. Unlike walkthroughs, which are collaborative and discussion-based, inspections are more rigorous and follow a structured methodology with defined roles such as moderator, author, reviewer, and scribe. In a peer review, colleagues who did not author the document scrutinize the requirements for issues such as ambiguity, inconsistency, missing information, and technical feasibility. This fresh perspective helps uncover problems that the original authors might have missed due to familiarity with the material. Peer reviews can be informal or formal, but they aim to enhance understanding and provide constructive feedback. Inspections involve a series of steps: planning, overview, preparation, inspection meeting, rework, and follow-up. During the inspection meeting, participants systematically go through the document line by line, logging defects and suggesting improvements without delving into solutions or design discussions. The focus is on adherence to standards, correctness, and completeness. These processes are critical for validation and verification as they help ensure that the requirements accurately reflect stakeholder needs and are ready for the next phases of the project. By identifying issues early, peer reviews and inspections reduce the risk of costly changes later on. They also promote knowledge sharing, improve team collaboration, and enhance the overall quality of the project deliverables.