46 PART | II ITS users
input documents can be the design documents, the templates and the manu-
als of the previous system, which can provide rich information about current
user needs.
- Surveys/questionnaires
Questionnaires are the most affordable technique for collecting require-
ments. They may comprise both open and/or closed questions and can be used
as a replacement for the face-to-face interaction with the stakeholders. They
are ideal for collecting requirements from larger user groups and for covering
large-geographical areas using their online versions. Questionnaires can be hard
to change and adapt to individual needs and perceptions because they do not
allow participants to ask for clarifications. They must be clearly defined and
concise in order to avoid misunderstandings. Using questionnaires has several
advantages, such as:
• The ability to reach a larger audience within a short time.
• The low-implementation cost.
• The ability to quantify requirements using closed questions.
• The lower bias they introduce, in comparison to the interview techniques.
Among their disadvantages are:• The ambiguities that may arise.
• The misinterpretation of questions from the user.
• The inability to capture useful feedback, especially in the absence of open
questions.
• The lack of additional clarifications from or to the user.
- Introspection
Introspection can be the initiator of the requirements elicitation process and
must be accompanied by other techniques. The analyst must be a domain expert
and aware of the system’s goals and the business processes that the software will
support (Paetsch, Eberlein, & Maurer, 2003). The technique can be more effec-
tive when analysts and stakeholders are domain experts from all the affected
fields. However, there is no guarantee that the introspection of one expert
reflects the understanding of the other (Goguen & Linde, 1999) and thus more
techniques must be employed to validate the initial findings.
The advantages of introspection methods are:
• Easiness of implementation.
• Low-implementation cost.
• They can be a good start for requirements elicitation.
On the other hand, the disadvantages are:• They require that both analysts and stakeholders are aware of the domain.