An Exploratory Pilot Survey on Technical Quality Control Practices in Agile R&D Projects

TL;DR

This paper explores how agile R&D software teams in Brazil report on technical quality control practices, revealing inconsistencies and gaps in applying automated testing, code review, and metrics monitoring.

Contribution

It provides an exploratory baseline on technical quality management practices in agile R&D projects within a regional innovation ecosystem.

Findings

Practices like automated testing and code review are acknowledged but inconsistently applied.

Gaps exist in monitoring technical quality metrics and assessing technical debt.

Inconsistencies in practice application across project iterations.

Abstract

Managing technical quality in agile Research and Development (R&D) software projects represents a persistent challenge, particularly in contexts characterized by high technical uncertainty and experimental pressure. This exploratory pilot survey explores how agile R&D software teams report the use of practices and metrics related to technical quality control within Scrum-based environments. The study employed a structured questionnaire administered to professionals from Science and Technology Institutions (STIs) located in Manaus, Brazil, aiming to capture reported practices, perceptions of quality, and recurrent challenges. Quantitative data were complemented by qualitative responses to support contextual interpretation. The results indicate that although practices such as automated testing, code review, and continuous integration are widely acknowledged, their reported application is often inconsistent across iterations. Gaps were also observed in the monitoring of technical quality metrics and in the reporting of mechanisms for assessing technical debt from a business perspective. Rather than aiming for generalization, this study offers an exploratory baseline that describes how technical quality is managed in agile R&D projects within a regional innovation ecosystem.