Modeling the Requirements Engineering Process
3rd European-Japanese Seminar on Information Modelling and Knowledge Bases 1
Budapest, Hungary ; 06/1993
Modeling the Requirements Engineering
Process
Colette Rolland
Universite de Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne UFR06
17, Rue de la Sorbonne 75231 Paris Cedex 05 FRANCE email : rolland@masi.ibp.fr
Abstract : Information System Engineering has made the assumption that an
Information System is supposed to capture some excerpt of the real world history and hence has concentrated on modeling. This has caused the introduction of a large variety of models and especially conceptual models by which an information system can be modelled in high level conceptual terms. By contrast, very little attention has been paid to the conceptual modeling process which has the purpose of investigating the requirements of the users community and abstracting from that the conceptual specification of the information system. This results in a low level of support provided to requirements engineers. However, the emphasis on system modeling is shifting to process modeling. The need for process modeling motivates the process stream of the NATURE Esprit project. The Requirements
Engineering Process model developed within this project is the main topic of this paper. The particular RE process modeling approach chosen in NATURE emphasises the notion of decision within the context in which it is taken. The paper outlines the modeling approach. It details and exemplifies the main concepts proposed to model the RE process and their relationships. Finally, it sketches the advantages of the process model by introducing its different usages.
1. Introduction
Information System Engineering has made the assumption that an Information System (IS) is supposed to capture some excerpt of world history and hence has concentrated on modeling, that is capturing information about the world.
It is usual to view an IS as "a model of some slice of reality of an organisation" [1] and even to
Budapest, Hungary ; 06/1993
Modeling the Requirements Engineering
Process
Colette Rolland
Universite de Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne UFR06
17, Rue de la Sorbonne 75231 Paris Cedex 05 FRANCE email : rolland@masi.ibp.fr
Abstract : Information System Engineering has made the assumption that an
Information System is supposed to capture some excerpt of the real world history and hence has concentrated on modeling. This has caused the introduction of a large variety of models and especially conceptual models by which an information system can be modelled in high level conceptual terms. By contrast, very little attention has been paid to the conceptual modeling process which has the purpose of investigating the requirements of the users community and abstracting from that the conceptual specification of the information system. This results in a low level of support provided to requirements engineers. However, the emphasis on system modeling is shifting to process modeling. The need for process modeling motivates the process stream of the NATURE Esprit project. The Requirements
Engineering Process model developed within this project is the main topic of this paper. The particular RE process modeling approach chosen in NATURE emphasises the notion of decision within the context in which it is taken. The paper outlines the modeling approach. It details and exemplifies the main concepts proposed to model the RE process and their relationships. Finally, it sketches the advantages of the process model by introducing its different usages.
1. Introduction
Information System Engineering has made the assumption that an Information System (IS) is supposed to capture some excerpt of world history and hence has concentrated on modeling, that is capturing information about the world.
It is usual to view an IS as "a model of some slice of reality of an organisation" [1] and even to
References: [1] : Loucopoulos P., Zicari R.(eds) : "Conceptual Modeling, Database and Case", Wiley, 1992. [2] : Hagelstein J. : Declarative Approach to Information Systems Requiremnts", in Knowledge-Based Systems, Vol&, No4, 1988. [3] : Dubois E.,Hagelstein J, Rifaut A. : "Formal Requirements Engineering with ERAE", Philips Journal Research, Vol L 43, No 4, 1989. [5] : Wilenski; "Planning and Understanding", Addison Wesley, 1983 [6] : Dowson M 351, 1990. [11] : Peugeot C., Franckson M.; "Specification of the Object and Process Modelling Language", ESF Report n° D122-OPML-1.0, 1991. 10, No. 1, 1992. [14] : Potts C.; "A Generic Model for Representing Design Methods"; Proceed. 11th International Conference on Software Engineering, 1989. J.A.Bubenko, A.Solvberg (Eds), Springer Verlag, 1991. [16] : Jarke M., Bubenko J, Rolland C., Sutcliffe A., Vassiliou Y.; "NATURE Initial Integration Report", NATURE.D-I, 1992.