Foreword of the Thematic Track Quality Aspects in Agile Methods

Abstract

There is no doubt that agile methods have become mainstream and with their increased use unanswered questions start to appear: How do we address cross-cutting concerns when software is developed vertically? Does value prioritization lead to increases in technical debt by promoting feature development over refactoring? Isn’t the reticence to write initial specifications on the premise of change an invitation to unnecessary change? As agile development matures answers, albeit partial, responses start to appear. The recurring themes in this year presentations are not whether agile is good or bad, better or worse,