Development of an Ontology-based Approach for Knowledge Management in Software Testing

Abstract

Software development organizations are seeking to add quality to their products. Testing processes are strategic elements to manage projects and product quality. However, advances in technology and the emergence of increasingly critical applications make testing a complex task and large volumes of information are generated. In fact, software testing is a knowledge intensive process. Because of this, these organizations have shown a growing interest in Knowledge Management (KM) programs, which in turn support the improvement of testing procedures. KM emerges as a means to manage testing knowledge, and, consequently, to improve software quality. However, there are only a few KM solutions supporting software testing. This paper reports experiences from the development of an approach, called Ontology-based Testing Knowledge Management (OntoT-KM), that aims to assist in launching KM initiatives in the software testing domain with the support of Knowledge Management Systems (KMSs).  OntoT-KM provides a process guiding how to start applying KM in software testing. OntoT-KM is based on the findings of a systematic mapping on KM in software testing and the results of a survey with testing practitioners. Moreover, OntoT-KM considers the conceptualization established by a Reference Ontology on Software Testing (ROoST). As a proof of concept, OntoT-KM was applied to develop a KMS called Testing KM Portal (TKMP), which was evaluated in terms of usefulness, usability, and functional correctness. Results show that the developed KMS from OntoT-KM is a potential system for managing knowledge in software testing, so, the approach can guide KM initiatives in software testing.