Article,
Requirements engineering: In search of the dependent variables
Information and Software Technology, 50 (1-2): 67 - 75 (2008)Special issue with two special sections. Section 1: Most-cited software engineering articles in 2001. Section 2: Requirement engineering: Foundation for software quality.
DOI: 10.1016/j.infsof.2007.10.003
Abstract
When software development teams modify their requirements engineering process as an independent variable, they often examine the implications of these process changes by assessing the quality of the products of the requirements engineering process, e.g., a software requirements specification (SRS). Using the quality of the SRS as the dependent variable is flawed. As an alternative, this paper presents a framework of dependent variables that serves as a full range for requirements engineering quality assessment. In this framework, the quality of the SRS itself is just the first level. Other higher, and more significant levels, include whether the project was successful and whether the resulting product was successful. And still higher levels include whether or not the company was successful and whether there was a positive or negative impact on society as a whole.
