Which type of review has the purpose of discussing, making decisions, evaluating alternatives, and finding defects?

The type of review that is focused on discussing, making decisions, evaluating alternatives, and finding defects is a technical review. In a technical review, a group of peers comes together to examine a product or project work to ensure that it meets the required standards. The nature of the discussions during these reviews typically emphasizes not only identifying defects but also understanding the rationale behind certain design decisions and exploring various alternative approaches to the problem at hand.

This format allows for collaborative evaluation and decision-making, ensuring that the review process is effective in improving the quality of the product. The structured environment of a technical review also facilitates rich discussions that can lead to better insights into the work being assessed. This level of interaction and teamwork is essential for identifying potential problems early in the development process, ultimately leading to higher quality outcomes.

In contrast, other types of reviews such as inspections tend to be more formal and focus primarily on defect detection without the discussions surrounding alternatives, while walkthroughs are usually led by the author of the work and are designed to gather feedback rather than to make decisions. Informal reviews are less structured and often don't have a formal agenda, making them less effective for the specific aims of discussing and evaluating alternatives or making decisions.