An Ontological Approach to Requirements Elicitation Technique Selection

Abstract

Too many systems constructed by the software industry fail to meet users needs. Requirements elicitation is the set of activities performed to understand users needs for a system. Although most texts focus on a few elicitation techniques, there are numerous variations of these basic techniques. So, the question arises, how can an analyst understand all these techniques and their variations? Moreover, most experts today agree that the selection of an appropriate technique must be a function of the situation. But, a seemingly infinite number of situational characteristics exist. So, how can an analyst know which of these many situational characteristics should be taken into account when trying to select elicitation techniques? And, how does an analyst select a technique that makes sense given those situational characteristics? The overarching goal of this research is to construct an information system to aid novice analysts in selecting the most effective requirements elicitation techniques for their project situation. Fundamental to the success of this endeavor is the creation of an ontology which: (1) sets the context for requirements elicitation and elicitation technique selection; (2) defines key characteristics of elicitation techniques that highlight their essential similarities and differences; and (3) identifies the important characteristics of a situation that should be considered when selecting an elicitation technique. This chapter describes the iterative ontology engineering approach used, summarizes the proposed requirements elicitation ontology, and demonstrates how the ontology will be used as a basis for an information system to assist analysts in selecting an appropriate elicitation technique. As a result, this chapter, rather than focusing on ontology research per se, focuses on the application of ontologies to improve the state of research and practice in one specific information systems discipline requirements elicitation.