Protoyping processes for requirements analysis.

The thesis that is defended in this report is that: (a) Well-defined graphical notations can be used to describe various prototyping processes for requirements analysis. (b) It is possible to identify well-defined metrics by which prototyping processes can be analyzed. (c) Prototyping processes used in requirements analysis are amenable to empirical study. Establishment of this thesis is a step towards a better understanding of the value of prototyping in requirements analysis. Not only does the thesis demonstrate that prototyping processes are amenable to measurement, the work undertaken to support the thesis also provides some techniques for conducting such measurement. (1) A new notation has been developed for describing prototyping processes. It has been tested on various processes and on a number of people. (2) A set of well-defined metrics has been identified which can be viably used to measure aspects of the prototyping process. (3) There is an indication that some widely held assumptions regarding prototyping processes require further investigation. The ability to clearly define prototyping processes and to provide measurements related to specific case studies has many uses: (1) Analysts will be able to refer to case studies of prototyping and obtain a better understanding of the costs and value involved in the use of a particular process. (2) Prototyping processes themselves can be analyzed and improved over a period of time as a database, or experience library, of well-defined case studies is developed. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 33-04, page: 1271. Supervisor: Richard Frost. Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1994