Analysis of techniques for documenting user requirements

Abstract

A number of approaches were proposed in past years to document user requirements. Choosing the most suitable one is difficult, and frequently based on ad-hoc decision. In order to assist the way requirements engineers choose, an evaluation is necessary. The purpose of this paper is to analyze methods and languages used for user requirements documentation considering a number of criteria. This analysis was performed after extensive literature research and action research at companies that develop software-intensive systems. The objective is not to show how to find the best technique, the one that will perfectly suit all software projects. Instead, our purpose is to propose a critical view on a number of chosen techniques that might be useful for practitioners when choosing which technique to use on a specific project. The assumption is that stakeholders can benefit from knowing which techniques fit better a number of pre-determined evaluation criteria. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.