Revisiting the Foundations of Quality Assurance: Reflections on Most-Cited Research and Their Real-World Impact

Quality Assurance (QA) continues to serve as the backbone of modern software engineering despite the wave of automation and AI-driven development. In this perspectives article, I reflect on some of the most cited QA research papers from the last decade, drawing from their findings and comparing them to my hands-on experience in large-scale financial infrastructures. This paper highlights the gaps between academic proposals and industry needs, underlines the timeless relevance of human-led QA strategies, and suggests how the next generation of QA research can be made more actionable, ethical, and aligned with agile realities.’=