An analysis of the requirements traceability problem

In this paper1, we investigate and discuss the underlying nature of the requirements traceability problem. Our work is based on empirical studies, involving over 100 practitioners, and an evaluation of current support. We introduce the distinction between pre-requirements specification (pre-RS) traceability and post-requirements specification (post-RS) traceability, to demonstrate why an all-encompassing solution to the problem is unlikely, and to provide a framework through which to understand its multifaceted nature. We report how the majority of the problems attributed to poor requirements traceability are due to inadequate pre-RS traceability and show the fundamental need for improvements here. In the remainder of the paper, we present an analysis of the main barriers confronting such improvements in practice, identify relevant areas in which advances have been (or can be) made, and make recommendations for research

Extended requirements traceability: results of an industrial case study

Contribution structures offer a way to model the network of people who have participated in the requirements engineering process. They further provide the opportunity to extend conventional forms of artifact-based requirements traceability with the traceability of contributing personnel. In this paper, we describe a case study that investigated the modeling and use of contribution structures in an industrial project. In particular, we demonstrate how they made it possible to answer previously unanswerable questions about the human source(s) of requirements. In so doing, we argue that this information addresses problems currently attributed to inadequate requirements traceability

Requirements traceability in model-driven development: Applying model and transformation conformance

The variety of design artifacts (models) produced in a model-driven design process results in an intricate relationship between requirements and the various models. This paper proposes a methodological framework that simplifies management of this relationship, which helps in assessing the quality of models, realizations and transformation specifications. Our framework is a basis for understanding requirements traceability in model-driven development, as well as for the design of tools that support requirements traceability in model-driven development processes. We propose a notion of conformance between application models which reduces the effort needed for assessment activities. We discuss how this notion of conformance can be integrated with model transformations

Automating Requirements Traceability: Two Decades of Learning from KDD

This paper summarizes our experience with using Knowledge Discovery in Data (KDD) methodology for automated requirements tracing, and discusses our insights.Comment: The work of the second author has been supported in part by NSF grants CCF-1511117 and CICI 1642134; 4 pages; in Proceedings of IEEE Requirements Engineering 201

Effective and efficient requirement traceability in the software development and Information Technology industry

Requirements traceability has been identified as a quality factor and a characteristic a system should possess and include as a non-functional requirement. Requirements engineering processes should always include methods and tools of maintaining traces and relationships between requirements and product artefacts. To investigate the extent to which requirements traceability is used in software and information technology projects, a theoretical model of requirements traceability was presented in this research. Five organizations were investigated through semi-structured interviews and their requirements tracing practices were compared with the theoretical model. The extent to which organizations apply requirements traceability practices in their projects differs and as a result they were categorised as inactive, dormant and active users in this research. The advent of agile development methods is one of the major factors affecting requirements traceability practices. Among other recommended areas of further research, there is need for future research to look at how agile development and traditional methods can be implemented together in requirement tracing practices

An Introduction to Requirements Traceability

This report surveys the requirements traceability literature and gives some recommendations for further research and for an approach to consultancy concerning traceability in the 2RARE project. The problem of maintaining traceability in a development project is viewed as the problem of maintaining an information system that maintains the relevant links between items developed during the process. These items may vary from requirements to design and implementation documents. To develop and implement such an information system, we must identify the needs for tracking information, made a model of this information, design usage procedures for the system, and implement the system. Accordingly, the literature on traceability is organized under the headings needs, models and usage. Furthermore, tracking tools are briefly reviewed

Contribution structures

The invisibility of the individuals and groups that gave rise to requirements artifacts has been identified as a primary reason for the persistence of requirements traceability problems. This paper presents an approach, based on modelling the dynamic contribution structures underlying requirements artifacts, which addresses this issue. We show how these structures can be defined, using information about the agents who have contributed to artifact production, in conjunction with details of the numerous traceability relations that hold within and between artifacts themselves. We describe a scheme, derived from work in sociolinguistics, which can be used to indicate the capacities in which agents contribute. We then show how this information can be used to infer details about the social roles and commitments of agents with respect to their various contributions and to each other. We further propose a categorisation for artifact-based traceability relations and illustrate how they impinge on the identification and definition of these structures. Finally, we outline how this approach can be implemented and supported by tools, explain the means by which requirements change can be accommodated in the corresponding contribution structures, and demonstrate the potential it provides for "personnel-based" requirements traceability

Scenarios for system requirements traceability and testing

Scenarios in current design methodologies, provide a natural way for the users to identify the inputs and outputs of the system revolving around a particular interaction process. A scenario typically consists of a sequence of steps which captures a particular run of the system and satisfies some aspect of the requirements. In this work we add additional structure to the scenarios used in the Prometheus agent development methodology. This additional structure then facilitates both traceability and automated testing. We describe our process for mapping the scenarios and their steps to the initial detailed design, where we then maintain the traceability as the design develops. The structured action lists that we define for both scenarios and their variations provides the basis for facilitating automated testing of system behavior. We describe how we use the newly defined structure within the scenarios to facilitate testing, describing how we automate test case generation, execution and analysis

Blockchain for requirements traceability: A qualitative approach

Blockchain technology has emerged as a “disruptive innovation” that has received significant attention in academic and organizational settings. However, most of the existing research is focused on technical issues of blockchain systems, overlooking the organizational perspective. This study adopted a grounded theory to unveil the blockchain implementation process in organizations from the lens of blockchain experts. The results revealed three main categories: key activities, success factors, and challenges related to blockchain implementation in organizations, the latter being identified as the core category, along with 17 other concepts. Findings suggested that the majority of blockchain projects stop at the pilot stage and outlined organizational resistance to change as the core challenge. According to the experts, the following factors contribute to the organizational resistance to change: innovation–production gap, conservative management, and centralized mentality. The study aims to contribute to the existing blockchain literature by providing a holistic and domain-agnostic view of the blockchain implementation process in organizational settings. This can potentially encourage the development and implementation of blockchain solutions and guide practitioners who are interested in leveraging the inherent benefits of this technology. In addition, the results are used to improve a blockchain-enabled requirements traceability framework proposed in our previous paper.publishedVersio