Using wiki as a collaboration platform for software requirements and design

Abstract

Wiki is a collaboration platform allowing building a corpus of knowledge in interlinked web pages created and edited by different users. Wiki has been applied in different domains and usage contexts in business and education. This paper reports on an exploratory study conducted as a part of an ongoing research regarding the use of wiki in software development projects. The objective of this study was to capture the perceptions of users regarding wiki as a collaboration platform. Specifically, we aimed at understanding what hinders and what motivates users’ contribution to documents constructed within the wiki environment. Based on data obtained via interviews with wiki users we found, among other things, that they do not perceive wiki as a stand-alone communication and collaboration tool, and tend to conduct off-line discussions prior to changes made in the wiki. We also identified several wiki features, which, if improved, may enhance wiki usage.