Which of the following best describes test design techniques?

Test design techniques are fundamentally methods or strategies that help testers create effective test cases based on the requirements and specifications of the software being tested. These techniques include approaches such as equivalence partitioning, boundary value analysis, decision table testing, and state transition testing, among others. Each of these methods provides a structured way to derive tests by focusing on specific aspects of the software's behavior, ensuring thorough coverage and enhancing the likelihood of discovering defects.

In contrast, other options focus on different aspects of the software testing process. Documenting test results relates to capturing outcomes and findings after tests have been executed rather than how to create the test cases. Automating testing processes pertains to the use of tools and scripts to run tests without manual intervention, which is a separate concern from how tests are designed. Lastly, standards for reporting defects emphasize the guidelines for communicating issues found during testing rather than the techniques used to construct the tests themselves. Thus, the choice that best aligns with the definition of test design techniques is the strategy of developing test cases based on specifications.