A Systematic Literature Review of Requirements Engineering Education

Requirements engineering (RE) has established itself as a core software engineering discipline. It is well acknowledged that good RE leads to higher quality software and considerably reduces the risk of failure or budget-overspending of software development projects. It is of vital importance to train future software engineers in RE and educate future requirements engineers to adequately manage requirements in various projects. To this date, there exists no central concept of what RE education shall comprise. To lay a foundation, we report on a systematic literature review of the feld and provide a systematic map describing the current state of RE education. Doing so allows us to describe how the educational landscape has changed over the last decade. Results show that only a few established author collaborations exist and that RE education research is predominantly published in venues other than the top RE research venues (i.e., in venues other than the RE conference and journal). Key trends in RE instruction of the past decade include involvement of real or realistic stakeholders, teaching predominantly elicitation as an RE activity, and increasing student factors such as motivation or communication skills. Finally, we discuss open opportunities in RE education, such as training for security requirements and supply chain risk management, as well as developing a pedagogical foundation grounded in evidence of effective instructional approaches

A Collaborative Approach to Describe the Domain Language through the Language Extended Lexicon

Software development is a succession of descriptions in different languages in which every description is based on a previous one. Since the requirements specification is one of the first descriptions, it is important to begin software development with requirements that are as correct and as complete as possible. Although some literature holds the belief that correctness and completeness are two attributes that requirements specifications must satisfy, we know that these attributes are very difficult to meet. However, we have to find ways to diminish the level of incompleteness and deal with the possible conflicts that do arise in the requirements context. Defining the domain language before specifying the requirements is a way of coping with these problems. Nowadays, software systems involve many stakeholders and it is hard to engage all of them to produce a domain language specification. We rely on collaboration to foster the involvement and cooperation of the stakeholders, thus they are able to explore the differences constructively and provide a common understanding of the domain language beyond their own limited views. In this paper, we propose a strategy to capture the domain language in a collaborative way using the Language Extended Lexicon and we show a validation of the proposed strategy.Laboratorio de Investigación y Formación en Informática Avanzad

The notion of specialization in the i*framework

This thesis provides a formal proposal for the specialization relationship in the i* framework that allows its use in a well-defined manner. I root my proposal over existing works in different areas that are interested in representing knowledge: knowledge representation from Artificial Intelligence and conceptual modeling and object-oriented programming languages from Software Development. Also, I use the results of a survey conducted in the i* community that provides some insights about what i* modelers expect from specialization. As a consequence of this twofold analysis, I identify three specialization operations: extension, refinement and redefinition. For each of them, I: - motivate its need and provide some rationale; - distinguish the several cases that can occur in each operation; - define the elements involved in each of these cases and the correctness conditions that must be fulfilled; - demonstrate by induction the fulfilment of the conditions identified for preserving satisfaction; - provide some illustrative examples in the context of an exemplar about travel agencies and travelers. The specialization relationship is offered by the i* framework through the is-a construct defined over actors (a subactor is-a superactor) since it was first released. Although the overall meaning of this construct is highly intuitive, its effects at the level of intentional elements and dependencies are not always clear, hampering seriously its appropriate use. In order to be able to reason about correctness and satisfaction, I define previously the conditions that must be preserved when a specialization takes place. In addition, I provide a methodology with well-defined steps that contextualize the formal aspects of this thesis in a development process. As a conclusion, this thesis is making possible the use of the specialization relationship in i* in a precise, non-ambiguous manner

Requirements-aware models to support better informed decision-making for self-adaptation using partially observable Markov decision processes

A self-adaptive system (SAS) is a system that can adapt its behaviour in re- sponse to environmental fluctuations at runtime and its own changes. Therefore, the decision-making process of a SAS is challenged by the underlying uncertainty. In this dissertation, the author focuses on the kind of uncertainty associated with the satisficement levels of non-functional requirements (NFRs) given a set of design decisions reflected on a SAS configuration. Specifically, the focus of this work is on the specification and runtime handling of the uncertainty related to the levels of satisficement of the NFRs when new evidence is collected, and that may create the need of adaptation based on the reconfiguration of the system. Specifically, this dissertation presents two approaches that address decision-making in SASs in the face of uncertainty. First, we present RE-STORM, an approach to support decision- making under uncertainty, which uses the current satisficement level of the NFRs in a SAS and the required trade-offs, to therefore guide its self-adaptation. Second, we describe ARRoW, an approach for the automatic reassessment and update of initial preferences in a SAS based on the current satisficement levels of its NFRs. We eval- uate our proposals using a case study, a Remote Data Mirroring (RDM) network. Other cases have been used as well in different publications. The results show that under uncertain environments, which may have not been foreseen in advance, it is feasible that: (a) a SAS reassess the preferences assigned to certain configurations and, (b) reconfigure itself at runtime in response to adverse conditions, in order to keep satisficing its requirements

Airtightness performance of the building envelope of dwellings in Spain. Characterisation and energy impact of air infiltration

Este trabajo aborda la caracterización de permeabilidad al aire de la envolvente de los edificios residenciales en España. Para ello, se propone una metodología con la que se ha estudiado una muestra representativa de casos, que ha generado una base de datos. El grado de permeabilidad al aire, evaluado mediante ensayos de presurización por medio de ventilador, muestra el comportamiento dispar de los edificios y un considerable potencial de ahorro energético. También se ha estudiado la relación entre diferentes características constructivas y el grado de permeabilidad al aire, y se han identificado los focos de filtración más comunes. El diseño inadecuado de las soluciones constructivas, así como la descuidada ejecución de los encuentros entre diferentes elementos, se han señalado como las principales causas que impiden envolventes más herméticas, y, en consecuencia, suponen los principales retos a afrontar en el futuro.Departamento de Construcciones Arquitectónicas, Ingeniería del Terreno y Mecánica de los Medios Continuos y Teoría de EstructurasDoctorado en Arquitectur

An improved requirement change management model for agile software development

Business requirements for software development projects are volatile and continuously need improvement. Hence, popularity of Agile methodology increases as it welcomes requirement changes during the Agile Software Development (ASD). However, existing models merely focus on change of functional requirements that are not adequate to achieve software sustainability and support change requirement processes. Therefore, this study proposes an improved Agile Requirement Change Management (ARCM) Model which provides a better support of non-functional requirement changes in ASD for achieving software sustainability. This study was carried out in four phases. Phase one is a theoretical study that examined the important issues and practices of requirement change in ASD. Then, in phase two, an exploratory study was conducted to investigate current practices of requirement changes in ASD. The study involved 137 software practitioners from Pakistan. While in phase three, the findings from the previous phases were used to construct the ARCM model. The model was constructed by adapting Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) method which consists of four 4 stages. Every stage provides well-defined aims, processes, activities, and practices. Finally, the model was evaluated by using expert review and case study approaches. There were six experts involved to verify the model and two case studies which involved two software companies from Pakistan were carried out to validate the applicability of the proposed model. The study proposes the ARCM model that consists of three main components: sustainability characteristics for handling non-functional requirements, sustainability analysis method for performing impact and risk analysis and assessment mechanism of ARCM using Goal Question Metrics (GQM) method. The evaluation result shown that the ARCM Model gained software practitioners’ satisfaction and able to be executed in a real environment. From the theoretical perspective, this study introduces the ARCM Model that contributed to the field of Agile Requirement Management, as well as the empirical findings that focused on the current issues, challenges and practices of RCM. Moreover, the ARCM model provides a solution for handling the nonfunctional requirements changes in ASD. Consequently, these findings are beneficial to Agile software practitioners and researchers to ensure the software sustainability are fulfilled hence empowers the companies to improve their value delivery

Technical Debt: An empirical investigation of its harmfulness and on management strategies in industry

Background: In order to survive in today\u27s fast-growing and ever fast-changing business environment, software companies need to continuously deliver customer value, both from a short- and long-term perspective. However, the consequences of potential long-term and far-reaching negative effects of shortcuts and quick fixes made during the software development lifecycle, described as Technical Debt (TD), can impede the software development process.Objective: The overarching goal of this Ph.D. thesis is twofold. The first goal is to empirically study and understand in what way and to what extent, TD influences today’s software development work, specifically with the intention to provide more quantitative insight into the field. Second, to understand which different initiatives can reduce the negative effects of TD and also which factors are important to consider when implementing such initiatives.Method: To achieve the objectives, a combination of both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies are used, including interviews, surveys, a systematic literature review, a longitudinal study, analysis of documents, correlation analysis, and statistical tests. In seven of the eleven studies included in this Ph.D. thesis, a combination of multiple research methods are used to achieve high validity.Results: We present results showing that software suffering from TD will cause various negative effects on both the software and the developing process. These negative effects are illustrated from a technical, financial, and a developer’s working situational perspective. These studies also identify several initiatives that can be undertaken in order to reduce the negative effects of TD.Conclusion: The results show that software developers report that they waste 23% of their working time due to experiencing TD and that TD required them to perform additional time-consuming work activities. This study also shows that, compared to all types of TD, architectural TD has the greatest negative impact on daily software development work and that TD has negative effects on several different software quality attributes. Further, the results show that TD reduces developer morale. Moreover, the findings show that intentionally introducing TD in startup companies can allow the startups to cut development time, enabling faster feedback and increased revenue, preserve resources, and decrease risk and thereby contribute to beneficial\ua0effects. This study also identifies several initiatives that can be undertaken in order to reduce the negative effects of TD, such as the introduction of a tracking process where the TD items are introduced in an official backlog. The finding also indicates that there is an unfulfilled potential regarding how managers can influence the manner in which software practitioners address TD

Portugal SB13: contribution of sustainable building to meet EU 20-20-20 targets

Proceedings of the International Conference Portugal SB13: contribution of sustainable building to meet EU 20-20-20 targetsThe international conference Portugal SB13 is organized by the University of Minho, the Technical University of Lisbon and the Portuguese Chapter of the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment in Guimarães, Portugal, from the 30th of October till the 1st of November 2013. This conference is included in the Sustainable Building Conference Series 2013-2014 (SB13-14) that are being organized all over the world. The event is supported by high prestige partners, such as the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) and the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE). Portugal SB13 is focused on the theme â Sustainable Building Contribution to Achieve the European Union 20-20-20 Targetsâ . These targets, known as the â EU 20-20-20â targets, set three key objectives for 2020: - A 20% reduction in EU greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels; - Raising the share of EU energy consumption produced from renewable resources to 20%; - A 20% improvement in the EU's energy efficiency. Building sector uses about 40% of global energy, 25% of global water, 40% of global resources and emit approximately 1/3 of the global greenhouse gas emissions (the largest contributor). Residential and commercial buildings consume approximately 60% of the worldâ s electricity. Existing buildings represent significant energy saving opportunities because their performance level is frequently far below the current efficiency potentials. Energy consumption in buildings can be reduced by 30 to 80% using proven and commercially available technologies. Investment in building energy efficiency is accompanied by significant direct and indirect savings, which help offset incremental costs, providing a short return on investment period. Therefore, buildings offer the greatest potential for achieving significant greenhouse gas emission reductions, at least cost, in developed and developing countries. On the other hand, there are many more issues related to the sustainability of the built environment than energy. The building sector is responsible for creating, modifying and improving the living environment of the humanity. Construction and buildings have considerable environmental impacts, consuming a significant proportion of limited resources of the planet including raw material, water, land and, of course, energy. The building sector is estimated to be worth 10% of global GDP (5.5 trillion EUR) and employs 111 million people. In developing countries, new sustainable construction opens enormous opportunities because of the population growth and the increasing prosperity, which stimulate the urbanization and the construction activities representing up to 40% of GDP. Therefore, building sustainably will result in healthier and more productive environments. The sustainability of the built environment, the construction industry and the related activities are a pressing issue facing all stakeholders in order to promote the Sustainable Development. The Portugal SB13 conference topics cover a wide range of up-to-date issues and the contributions received from the delegates reflect critical research and the best available practices in the Sustainable Building field. The issues presented include: - Nearly Zero Energy Buildings - Policies for Sustainable Construction - High Performance Sustainable Building Solutions - Design and Technologies for Energy Efficiency - Innovative Construction Systems - Building Sustainability Assessment Tools - Renovation and Retrofitting - Eco-Efficient Materials and Technologies - Urban Regeneration - Design for Life Cycle and Reuse - LCA of sustainable materials and technologies All the articles selected for presentation at the conference and published in these Proceedings, went through a refereed review process and were evaluated by, at least, two reviewers. The Organizers want to thank all the authors who have contributed with papers for publication in the proceedings and to all reviewers, whose efforts and hard work secured the high quality of all contributions to this conference. A special gratitude is also addressed to Eng. José Amarílio Barbosa and to Eng. Catarina Araújo that coordinated the Secretariat of the Conference. Finally, Portugal SB13 wants to address a special thank to CIB, UNEP, FIDIC and iiSBE for their support and wish great success for all the other SB13 events that are taking place all over the world