To validate clause-level search effectively, test cases should focus on accuracy, handling structural complexity, and edge cases. Start by verifying that the system correctly identifies clauses matching exact keywords, partial phrases, and synonyms. For example, a test might check if searching for “termination” returns clauses containing both “termination” and “terminate this agreement,” ensuring stemming or synonym expansion works. Include case sensitivity tests (e.g., “Termination” vs. “termination”) to confirm the search is case-insensitive unless explicitly required. Another basic test could validate that overlapping clauses (e.g., a confidentiality clause nested within a broader section) are surfaced without false positives.
Next, test how the system handles structural challenges. Clauses often appear in lists, tables, or fragmented formats (e.g., split across pages or sections). Create test cases where a target clause is embedded in a bulleted list or a table cell to ensure the search ignores formatting artifacts. Validate that multi-part clauses (e.g., "Section 2.1(a)") are detected as a single unit, not as separate results. Test scenarios where clauses reference external documents (e.g., “as defined in Exhibit A”) to confirm the search either includes linked content or flags such references appropriately. These tests ensure the system parses document structure accurately.
Finally, address edge cases and performance. Test clauses with extreme length, special characters (e.g., “Confidentiality: [Parties] shall not disclose…”), or mixed languages (e.g., a bilingual contract). Validate that the search handles escaped characters (like quotes or backslashes) without errors. Include stress tests with thousands of documents to measure response times and resource usage. For security, test inputs like SQL injection attempts (e.g., “’; DROP TABLE clauses–”) to ensure sanitization. These cases verify robustness, scalability, and security, ensuring the search works reliably in real-world scenarios.