issues

Issues is a general term used to describe matters requiring attention, concern, or action. In everyday use, an issue may be a problem, a point of discussion, or a topic of interest. In different domains, issues are managed and tracked to coordinate responses.

In software development and IT, an issue is a report of something that is not functioning as intended, a request for an enhancement, or a task to be completed. Issue trackers categorize, assign, and monitor issues throughout their life cycle.

In publishing and periodicals, an issue refers to a specific edition or release, such as a monthly magazine issue. In this sense, issues may include articles, features, and advertisements and are identified by date or volume/number.

In social, political, and environmental contexts, an issue denotes a matter of public concern—such as healthcare, climate change, or education—that stakeholders seek to influence or resolve through policy, advocacy, or reform.

Lifecycles: Common stages include report, triage, assignment, work in progress, testing/verification, and closure. Status labels such as open, in progress, resolved, and closed are used, along with priorities (low to critical) and severities.

Best practices include clear reproduction steps or problem descriptions, consistent terminology, and timely communication. Metrics such as age, backlog, and mean time to resolution help assess performance of issue-management processes.

Further related topics include bug tracking systems, ticketing, incident management, and change control.