Using audio and collaboration technologies for distributed requirements elicitation and documentation

The success of a software product depends on meeting the requirements and satisfying the needs of the users. The identification of these requirements and needs is the task of requirements engineering. This paper presents a method for the elicitation and documentation of requirements. The method uses collaborative technologies (a wiki system) and audio recordings to allow multiple stakeholders the joint elicitation and documentation of the requirements and their rationales in globally distributed software development settings. Semi-automated linking of the requirements documentation in the wiki with sections of audio recording of stakeholder interviews ensure the traceability of the requirements' rationales. In addition to the method, the concept of a supporting software tool is presented. This tool is yet to be developed. The results of an evaluation of the method show that the approach is promising. It enables the participation of all relevant stakeholders, supports a common understanding of the requirements and avoids misinterpretations and the dissemination of false information.