A Taxonomy of Requirements Specification Techniques

A taxonomy is introduced and used as a backdrop against which current state-of-the-art in the requirements engineering field is reviewed. The emphasis is on identifying general trends and issues rather than offering the reader a literature survey. The contents of a requirements specification is presented in light of the consensus reached by both theoreticians and practitioners. The desirable proper ties of a requirements may alter the relative significance of difference properties. Finally, the classification of requirements specification techniques is approached from a total system design perspective. The paper shows that, despite significant growth, the requirements area still faces a number of important unresolved issues including the need for: broader formal foundation for both functional and non-functional requirements, greater degree of formality and automation, new requirements development methods, and higher level of integration in the overall design process. ... Read complete abstract on page 2.