CS 590T Model Based Software Testing

Fall 2005

Last update: August 30, 2005

Suggested research areas

  • Testing concurrent systems
  • Vulnerability testing from formal specifications
  • Test generation for fault injection testing
  • Testing real-time systems
  • Regression testing
  • Testing OO software
  • Test generation from code
  • Testing of numerical software
  • Testing of software in specific areas, such as nuclear power plants, medical devices, and aerospace.

How to select an area?

If you already know what area you are interested in then just let the instructor know of your choice. If not, then ask the instructor for a recommendation. If all this fails, then try the following.

  • Browse the internet and read up on specific testing related topics. Anything interesting?
  • Browse ACM digital library and IEEE Explore. Read abstracts of papers that appear interesting. Anything interesting?

Hopefully you would find something of interest!

Want to work alone or in a team?

While you may choose to work alone on this project, teaming up with another member of the class is preferred. As you might imagine, there are several benefits of teaming up with someone, writing a joint report, and making a joint presentation towards the end of the semester.

However, the benefits of team work come with certain responsibilities: (a) respect for your team partner, (b) resolution of conflicts in a congenial manner, (c) careful planning and scheduling and adherance to plans and schedules, and (b) maintaining equity in work load.

How to go about researching the area you have selected?

  • 2-weeks: Identify 4 key papers in the area. ACM Digital Library and IEEE Explore are your best bet. Give preference to IEEE transactions or ACM transaction publications over conference proceeding publications. certainly, there could be reasons to revrese this priority in certain cases. Check with the instructor. The instructor might, for good reasons, override your choice.
  • Get the papers approved by the instructor. This process must be complete by Tuesday September 19.
  • Begin reading the publications. You might find that in some cases cited works might also need to be read in order to gain a thorough understanding of one of the four papers you have selected. Note that each week you will be asked to give a summary of the progress you have made in reading the appears you selected. This will be a good time to bring forward questions that you are struggling with. Do make a note of the questions as they arise while you read a publication.

What to look for when reading a research publication?

  • What problem is addressed ? Any hypothesis?
  • What is the underlying motivation?
  • What method was employed to address the problem? Analytical? Empirical? Mixed?
  • What solution has been obtained? Is the solution general or applies only to the case study that is reported? If there is an hypothesis, was it rejected? Accepted?
  • What conclusions are arrived at?
  • What is the practical utility of the method proposed (if any)?
  • How novel is the reported research?

Try formulating answers to the questions above as you read through a publication. Write down your answers and use this to present your progress during the class hour.

Final report and presentation

You will need to write a brief report that summarizes your findings based on what you have read. You may organize your report around the questions mentioned earlier. There is no limit, lower or upper, on the number of pages.

Write what needs to be written. Ask the instructor when in doubt! There is no need to copy material from the research publications you read. In fact do NOT copy material. Target the report at someone who knows what testing is all about but would like you to summarize the contributions of the research publications you selected.

Presentations will be an essential component of the research project. The final grade will be determined based on your report and presentation. Be prepared for a 45 minute presentation which could extend to a full 75 minutes depending on how well you (or your team) are (is) prepared.

Important: read the research publications with a critical mind! The "whys" will be important. Think of alternatives. "Could the researcher have used a different procedure?" "Is there something better already available?" and so on.