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Practitioner Engineering Publication · IEEE Access · SLROPEN ACCESS
Self-Initiated Study · Jul 2026

LLM-Based Test Oracles: Source-of-Authority Taxonomy—A Systematic Literature Review

Co-authored systematic literature review (PRISMA 2020) of 54 studies on LLM-based test oracles, published in IEEE Access, introducing a source-of-authority taxonomy. Organises the field by where oracle verdicts derive their authority, a dimension missing from prior secondary studies.

01. Context & Motivation

Research Context & Problem Framing

LLMs are increasingly used to produce test oracles, but no clear account existed of where these oracles draw their authority. Prior secondary studies organised by oracle form or LLM technique, not by the source of the verdict's trust basis.

02. Methodology & System Design

Methodology & Implementation

Conducted a systematic literature review under PRISMA 2020 guidelines. From 2,436 records, LLM pre-filtering followed by independent dual human screening (Cohen's κ = 0.79) and full-text assessment yielded 54 included studies. Analysed along three axes: source of authority, oracle form, and adjudication mechanism.

03. Empirical Findings & Evidence

Findings & Key Results

Specification-derived authority covers ~52% of studies (28/54); remaining 26 reach verdicts without any specification. 'LLM-as-a-judge' names a mechanism, not a basis for trust. Taxonomy's sparse and empty regions constitute an explicit research agenda.

04. Topics & Methodology Stack
Systematic ReviewPRISMA 2020LLM EvaluationTest Oracle AnalysisCohen's κ
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