Using Checklists to Make Code Reviews Objective and Effective

How Checklists Work

Creating and maintaining a checklist helps keep code reviews from becoming emotionally charged. NASA uses checklists for every critical process to eliminate subjectivity; similarly, a checklist forces reviewers to consider potential problem areas before making decisions.

Code Reviews Are Important

Although not as high‑stakes as a space launch, code reviews affect many domains—medicine, finance, automotive, etc.—and ultimately impact people’s lives. Engineers must take responsibility, avoid lazy approvals, and ensure changes are tested and documented.

Getting Started

Begin by writing a simple personal checklist of review requirements, use it, refine it, and then share it with the team as a collaborative resource, e.g., a Google Doc linked to onboarding guides.

Example Checklist

Do the changes meet business requirements?

Do they satisfy the team’s coding quality standards?

Are relevant tests included?

Are UI changes documented with screenshots?

Is the changelog updated?

Is the application documentation updated?

The checklist focuses on core review concerns rather than trivial details, staying short to encourage thoughtful discussion rather than mechanical checks.