What are software testing notes?
Software testing notes are used for recording information during different testing activities, whether it's testing an idea or a product. And testing notes can come in many forms. Some are more suitable for certain activities than others. And notes can be collated for future reporting, or sharing information with your team.
Do you have any examples of software testing notes?
Mind maps with multiple nodes to demonstrate different ways you have tested the product, and to show more information about your testing, test ideas and discoveries and problems, or diagrams to demonstrate behaviour during the requirements of planning sessions is a good example, or tools like RapidReporter or JiraCapture, to notate your exploratory testing in a chronological text-based format.
What's the value?
Good testing notes can stem more test ideas. They can help you track different activities beyond executing tests, such as session setup and bug investigation. They can also be used as a trigger to remind you of what testing you have done during an exploratory testing session. They can be used as testing evidence displaying coverage and risks that have been investigated.
What are the pitfalls?
Writing too much detail in your testing notes can be a drag on your time and may affect what information you're taking in. And writing vague notes with too little detail will result in a lack of understanding in the future. And sticking with one note-taking approach may bias the way that you test to so experiment with different note-taking approaches.
