Requirements Engineering Methods: A Classification Framework and Research Challenges

Requirements Engineering Methods (REMs) support Requirements Engineering (RE) tasks, from elicitation, through modeling and analysis, to validation and evolution of requirements. Despite the growing interest to design, validate and teach REMs, it remains unclear what components REMs should have. A classification framework for REMs is proposed. It distinguishes REMs based on the domain-independent properties of their components. The classification framework is intended to facilitate (i) analysis, teaching and extension of existing REMs, (ii) engineering and validation of new REMs, and (iii) identifying research challenges in REM design. The framework should help clarify further the relations between REM and other concepts of interest in and to RE, including Requirements Problem and Solution, Requirements Modeling Language, and Formal Method.