Ontological analysis of means-end links

The i* community has raised several main dialects and dozens of variations in the definition of the i* language. Differences may be found related not just to the representation of new concepts but to the very core of the i* language. In previous work we have tackled this issue mainly from a syntactic point of view, using metamodels and syntactic-based model interoperability frameworks. In this paper, we go one step beyond and consider the use of foundational ontologies in general, and UFO in particular, as a way to clarify the meaning of core i* constructs and as the basis to propose a normative definition. We focus here on one of the most characteristics i* constructs, namely means-end links.Postprint (published version

RationalGRL: A Framework for Argumentation and Goal Modeling

Goal-oriented requirements modeling approaches aim to capture the intentions of the stakeholders involved in the development of an information system as goals and tasks. The process of constructing such goal models usually involves discussions between a requirements engineer and a group of stakeholders. Not all the arguments in such discussions can be captured as goals or tasks: e.g., the discussion whether to accept or reject a certain goal and the rationale for acceptance or rejection cannot be captured in goal models. In this paper, we apply techniques from computational argumentation to a goal modeling approach by using a coding analysis in which stakeholders discuss requirements for a Traffic Simulator. We combine a simplified version of a traditional goal model, the Goal-oriented Requirements Language (GRL), with ideas from argumentation on schemes for practical reasoning into a new framework (RationalGRL). RationalGRL provides a formal semantics and tool support to capture the discussions and outcomes of the argumentation process that leads to a goal model. We also define the RationalGRL development process to create a RationalGRL model

Motivation-oriented scenario-based gamification design method using the user requirements notation modeling

Gamification, defined as the use of game design elements in non-game contexts, has been a trending in both academic and in a variety of industrial domains for around half a decade. A number of empirical studies have showed the usefulness and effectiveness of applying gamification to enhance people's motivation and engagement in different activities. On the other hand, multiple design frameworks and methods have been proposed to guide the practice of gamification design and development. However, one of the key issues for gamification, which is being only focusing on using less essential game elements on motivating instead of providing genuinely meaningful gameful experiences, has not yet been addressed fully. Furthermore, the existing gamification design frameworks contribute limitedly in providing constructive and easily applicable design methods or tools that to facilitate the motivation and behavior analysis and ideation of gamification projects. Therefore, in this study, the author proposes the Motivation-oriented Scenario-based Gamification Design method in order to address the issues mentioned above. The method is an adaption of the User Requirement Notation to the modeling of system goals, gamification motivations, system user behaviors, existing gameplay, and the mapping between them. The new method aims to provide not only an innovative way of specifying gamification designs on the mechanic and dynamic levels, but also a possibly insightful perspective towards improving gamification experiences and effectiveness with meaningful plays. In addition, a case study is conducted by applying the proposed method to a real-life language learning system, WordDive, with the method validated and evaluated via an interview with an expert from the WordDive company

Towards an Ontology-Based Approach for Reusing Non-Functional Requirements Knowledge

Requirements Engineering play a crucial role during the software development process. Many works have pointed out that Non-Functional Requirements (NFR) are currently more important than Functional Requirements. NFRs can be very complicated to understand due to its diversity and subjective nature. The NDR Framework has been proposed to fill some of the existing gaps to facilitate NFR elicitation and modeling. In this thesis, we introduce a tool that plays a major role in the NDR Framework allowing software engineers to store and reuse NFR knowledge. The NDR Tool converts the knowledge contained in Softgoal Interdependency Graphs (SIGs) into a machine-readable format that follows the NFR and Design Rationale (NDR) Ontology. It also provides mechanisms to query the knowledge base and produces graphical representation for the results obtained. To evaluate whether our approach aids eliciting NFRs, we conducted an experiment performing a software development scenario