Requirements engineering as information search and idea discovery (keynote)

Creativity has been the subject of considerable research over the last 60 years. This keynote will argue that most requirements work is creative but not recognized as such. It will summarize recent applications of creativity theories and techniques to requirements work, then posit the general case that most requirements activities involve information search and idea discovery, and hence can be characterized as creative. Requirements research reported over the 21 years of this conference series will be reframed using theories of creativity as information search and idea discovery to support this argument, alongside macro-economic drivers and the shifting landscape of computing and design disciplines and conferences. The keynote will end with a call for researchers and practitioners at RE@21 to reframe requirements work as creative endeavors.