Preventing Incomplete/Hidden Requirements: Reflections on Survey Data from Austria and Brazil

Many software projects fail due to problems in requirements engineering (RE). The goal of this paper is analyzing a specific and relevant RE problem in detail: incomplete/hidden requirements. We replicated a global family of RE surveys with representatives of software organizations in Austria and Brazil. We used the data to (a) characterize the criticality of the selected RE problem, and to (b) analyze the reported main causes and mitigation actions. Based on the analysis, we discuss how to prevent the problem. The survey includes 14 different organizations in Austria and 74 in Brazil, including small, medium and large sized companies, conducting both, plan-driven and agile development processes. Respondents from both countries cited the incomplete/hidden requirements problem as one of the most critical RE problems. We identified and graphically represented the main causes and documented solution options to address these causes. Further, we compiled a list of reported mitigation actions. From a practical point of view, this paper provides further insights into common causes of incomplete/hidden requirements and on how to prevent this problem.Comment: in Proceedings of the Software Quality Days, 201

Towards Guidelines for Preventing Critical Requirements Engineering Problems

Context] Problems in Requirements Engineering (RE) can lead to serious consequences during the software development lifecycle. [Goal] The goal of this paper is to propose empirically-based guidelines that can be used by different types of organisations according to their size (small, medium or large) and process model (agile or plan-driven) to help them in preventing such problems. [Method] We analysed data from a survey on RE problems answered by 228 organisations in 10 different countries. [Results] We identified the most critical RE problems, their causes and mitigation actions, organizing this information by clusters of size and process model. Finally, we analysed the causes and mitigation actions of the critical problems of each cluster to get further insights into how to prevent them. [Conclusions] Based on our results, we suggest preliminary guidelines for preventing critical RE problems in response to context characteristics of the companies.Comment: Proceedings of the 42th Euromicro Conference on Software Engineering and Advanced Applications, 201

On Evidence-based Risk Management in Requirements Engineering

Background: The sensitivity of Requirements Engineering (RE) to the context makes it difficult to efficiently control problems therein, thus, hampering an effective risk management devoted to allow for early corrective or even preventive measures. Problem: There is still little empirical knowledge about context-specific RE phenomena which would be necessary for an effective context- sensitive risk management in RE. Goal: We propose and validate an evidence-based approach to assess risks in RE using cross-company data about problems, causes and effects. Research Method: We use survey data from 228 companies and build a probabilistic network that supports the forecast of context-specific RE phenomena. We implement this approach using spreadsheets to support a light-weight risk assessment. Results: Our results from an initial validation in 6 companies strengthen our confidence that the approach increases the awareness for individual risk factors in RE, and the feedback further allows for disseminating our approach into practice.Comment: 20 pages, submitted to 10th Software Quality Days conference, 201

Adaptive Boolean Networks and Minority Games with Time--Dependent Capacities

In this paper we consider a network of boolean agents that compete for a limited resource. The agents play the so called Generalized Minority Game where the capacity level is allowed to vary externally. We study the properties of such a system for different values of the mean connectivity $K$ of the network, and show that the system with K=2 shows a high degree of coordination for relatively large variations of the capacity level.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Constraints on the Universal Contact Interaction

Forces beyond those of the standard model may manifest themselves at low energies as four-fermion contact interactions. If these new forces are independent of colour and flavour quantum numbers including baryon and lepton number, then all low energy constraints, arising from quark-lepton universality, flavour-changing neutral currents and atomic parity violation are evaded. This is due to the global U(45) symmetry which the standard model exhibits in the limit of vanishing gauge and Yukawa couplings. The corresponding contact interaction is a unique current-current interaction. Constraints from LEP2 imply that this universal contact interaction cannot be the origin of the recently observed high-$Q^2$ events at HERA.Comment: 6 pages Latex, no figure

High P_T Leptons and W Production at HERA

Details are given of the observation by H1 of events containing high P_T leptons in addition to large missing P_T. A closely related ZEUS analysis, including a preliminary measurement of the W production cross section, is discussed and the two experiments are compared. Some possible non-Standard Model sources for the events are considered.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, LaTeX, uses iop style files and axodraw.sty. To appear in the proceedings of the 3rd UK Phenomenology Workshop on HERA Physics, September 1998, Durham (J.Phys.G: Nucl.Part.Phys.

Lessons Learned to Improve the UX Practices in Agile Projects Involving Data Science and Process Automation

Context: User-Centered Design and Agile methodologies focus on human issues. Nevertheless, agile methodologies focus on contact with contracting customers and generating value for them. Usually, the communication between end users and the agile team is mediated by customers. However, they do not know the problems end users face in their routines. Hence, UX issues are typically identified only after the implementation, during user testing and validation. Objective: Aiming to improve the understanding and definition of the problem in agile projects, this research investigates the practices and difficulties experienced by agile teams during the development of data science and process automation projects. Also, we analyze the benefits and the teams' perceptions regarding user participation in these projects. Method: We collected data from four agile teams in an academia-industry collaboration focusing on delivering data science and process automation solutions. Therefore, we applied a carefully designed questionnaire answered by developers, scrum masters, and UX designers. In total, 18 subjects answered the questionnaire. Results: From the results, we identify practices used by the teams to define and understand the problem and to represent the solution. The practices most often used are prototypes and meetings with stakeholders. Another practice that helped the team to understand the problem was using Lean Inceptions. Also, our results present some specific issues regarding data science projects. Conclusion: We observed that end-user participation can be critical to understanding and defining the problem. They help to define elements of the domain and barriers in the implementation. We identified a need for approaches that facilitate user-team communication in data science projects and the need for more detailed requirements representations to support data science solutions

Genetic Population Structure of Mule Deer Odocoileus Hemionus Across Montana

We conducted a genetic assessment of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) population structure across Montana in an effort to understand dispersal routes across the landscape. To assess genetic structure we genotyped 14 microsatellite loci in 359 individuals sampled primarily within Montana. Smaller samples were included from Wyoming, Colorado and Utah in order to provide a regional context for the levels of population structure observed within Montana. Additionally, we sequenced the control region of the mitochondrial genome of 76 individuals subsampled from our original samples across Montana. To avoid potential influences of a priori population designations, individual based analyses were used to test relatedness across the landscape. Weak isolation by distance characterized mule deer individuals across this region. In addition, we did not detect any evidence of spatial autocorrelation in discrete distance classes as small as 10 km. Female mule deer had higher average individual pairwise genetic distances than males, indicating the presence of a contemporary male bias in dispersal rates. Mitochondrial DNA indicated the potential for either reduced overall or female-specific dispersal between a subset of the sampling regions within Montana. Finally, we were unable to detect a genetic signature of past translocations of mule deer across Montana. Taken together these results indicate that within this landscape mule deer populations are characterized by high levels of connectivity and experience few, if any, barriers to dispersal