# When Deep Learning Meets Information Retrieval-based Bug Localization: A Survey

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.00144 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.00144/

## Key facts

- Cited by 6 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 30 Apr 2025.

## Built on by (most cited first, 6 of 6)

- [Agentic Software Issue Resolution with Large Language Models: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.22256/) (2025)
- [Loc2Repair: A Framework for Evaluating the Impact of File-Level Issue Localization in Repo-Level LLM Repair](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.30963/) (2026)
- [LIDL: LLM Integration Defect Localization via Knowledge Graph-Enhanced Multi-Agent Analysis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.05539/) (2026)
- [CMind: An AI Agent for Localizing C Memory Bugs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.14434/) (2026)
- [BLAgent: Agentic RAG for File-Level Bug Localization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.17965/) (2026)
- [From Codebase to Culprit (C2C): Reducing the Search Space for Bugs with Semantic Retrieval and Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.38402/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Bug localization is a crucial aspect of software maintenance, running through the entire software lifecycle. Information retrieval-based bug localization (IRBL) identifies buggy code based on bug reports, expediting the bug resolution process for developers. Recent years have witnessed significant achievements in IRBL, propelled by the widespread adoption of deep learning (DL). To provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art and delve into key issues, we conduct a survey encompassing 61 IRBL studies leveraging DL. We summarize best practices in each phase of the IRBL workflow, undertake a meta-analysis of prior studies, and suggest future research directions. This exploration aims to guide further advancements in the field, fostering a deeper understanding and refining practices for effective bug localization. Our study suggests that the integration of DL in IRBL enhances the model's capacity to extract semantic and syntactic information from both bug reports and source code, addressing issues such as lexical gaps, neglect of code structure information, and cold-start problems. Future research avenues for IRBL encompass exploring diversity in programming languages, adopting fine-grained granularity, and focusing on real-world applications. Most importantly, although some studies have started using large language models for IRBL, there is still a need for more in-depth exploration and thorough investigation in this area.