ABSTRACT
Abstract: The most important factors in the development of usable and functional systems are the completeness and accuracy of requirements gathered from users. Information requirements determination is a difficult and complex process that remains one of the major challenges in systems development. This paper reviews recent research in requirements determination, highlighting questions that have been partially answered and questions that still need to be investigated. A detailed framework of the requirements determination environment is presented to organize the research in this critical aspect of systems development and human-computer interaction. The framework includes a model of the requirements determination process, together with influences on the process, including cognitive, motivational, communication, organizational, problem domain, and other issues. Research questions resulting from the requirements determination process and surrounding influences are discussed. Keywords: Information Requirements Determination, Human-Computer Interaction, Systems Development, Pre-Elicitation Conditioning, Cognition, Motivation, Problem Domain
INTRODUCTION
Information requirements determination (IRD) is the process by which systems analysts build an understanding of users’ needs for an information system. Also termed “requirements analy-sis” and “requirements engineering,” the process identifies the requirements that underlie the basic usability and functionality of systems, and thus is fundamental to systems development.1 Researchers in human-computer interaction and information systems development have long recognized the importance of gathering requirements from users. The IRD process is widely regarded as the most crucial and difficult stage in systems development (Brooks, 1987; Dalal and Yadav, 1992; Davis, 1982; Leifer et al., 1994; Teng and Sethi, 1990; Vessey and Conger, 1993; Watson and Frolick, 1993). This paper reviews recent literature in requirements determination and develops a framework for guiding research in this critical aspect of systems development.
