A comparison of software assurance methods

Several methods are currently employed by software developers to improve software quality. This paper explores the application of three of these methods: quality assurance, acceptance testing, and independent verification and validation. At first glance these methods appear to overlap, but a closer evaluation reveals that each has a distinct objective and an established set of procedures. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the role of each of these methods by examining their scope, organization, and implementation in the software development process.