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QRMF: A Multi-Perspective Framework for Quality Requirements Modelling

Kawther Abdulelah Saeedi

[Thesis].The University of Manchester ;2014.

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Abstract

In recent years, a considerable amount of research has been conducted in modelling non-functional requirements (NFR) or Quality Requirements (QR). However, in comparison with functional requirements (FR) modelling, QR models are still immature and have not been widely adopted. The fundamental reason for this shortfall outlined in this thesis is that the existing QR modelling approaches have not adequately considered the challenging nature of QRs. In this thesis, this limitation is addressed through integrating QR modelling with FR modelling in a multi-perspective modelling framework. This framework, thus called QRMF (Quality Requirements Modelling Framework), is developed offering a process-oriented approach to modelling QR from different views and at different phases of requirement. These models are brought together in a descriptive representation schema, which represents a logical structure to guide the construction of requirement models comprehensively and with consistency. The research presented in the thesis introduces a generic meta-meta model for QRMF to aid understanding the abstract concepts and further guide the modelling process; it offers a reference blueprint to develop a modelling tool applicable to the framework. QRMF is supported by a modelling process, which guides requirement engineers to capture a set of complete, traceable and comprehensible QR models for software system. The thesis presents a case study, which evaluates the practicality and applicability of the QRMF. Finally, the framework is evaluated theoretically, through comparing and contrasting related approaches found in the literature

Bibliographic metadata

Type of resource:
Content type:
Type of thesis:
Author(s) list:
Degree type:
PhD
Publication date:
Total pages:
205
Table of contents:
TABLE OF CONTENTS 2LIST OF FIGURES 7LIST OF TABLES 9ABSTRACT 10DECLARATION 11COPYRIGHT STATEMENT 12ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 13ABBREVIATIONS 141 INTRODUCTION 151.1 RESEARCH AIM, OBJECTIVES AND ASSUMPTIONS 151.2 RESEARCH CHALLENGES 161.3 INTENDED RESEARCH CONTRIBUTIONS 181.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 191.5 THESIS STRUCTURE 202 QUALITY REQUIREMENTS: DEFINITIONS, CLASSIFICATIONS AND TREATMENTS 222.1 INTRODUCTION 222.2 QUALITY REQUIREMENTS CLASSIFICATION MODELS 232.2.1 ISO 25000 and ISO/IEC 9126 Standard Model 232.2.2 McCall’s Quality Model 262.2.3 Boehm’s Quality Model 292.2.4 Sommerville’s Quality Model 312.2.5 Dromey’s Quality Model 332.2.6 FURPS/FURPS+ Model 342.2.7 Roman’s Quality Taxonomy 342.2.8 Quality Model for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) 352.2.9 SERVQUAL Model for Web Application 372.3 QUALITY REQUIREMENTS DEFINITIONS USED IN THIS THESIS 372.4 QR CHALLENGING FEATURES 392.4.1 Intangible and Functionally Dependent 402.4.2 Subjective Requirements 402.4.3 Relative and Application-Specific Requirements 402.4.4 Interconnected and Interrelated Requirements 402.4.5 Complex Requirements 412.4.6 Cross-disciplinary Requirements 412.4.7 NFRs Evaluation 412.5 ISSUES WITH QUALITY CLASSIFICATION MODELS 422.6 SUMMARY 433 REQUIREMENT MODELLING FRAMEWORK 443.1 INTRODUCTION 443.2 REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING AND REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING PROCESSES 443.2.1 Requirements Modelling, Specification and Management 463.2.2 Requirements Elicitation 483.2.3 Requirements Analysis and Negotiation 493.2.4 Requirements Verification and Validation 503.2.5 Requirement Development Throughout the Requirement Process 513.3 GOAL-ORIENTED REQUIREMENTS MODELLING 523.3.1 The NFR Framework 533.3.2 i* Framework 563.3.3 KAOS 593.4 OTHER REQUIREMENTS MODELLING APPROACHES 603.4.1 Object-oriented Requirements Modelling 603.4.2 Business Process Requirements Modelling 613.5 ISSUES RELATED TO QR MODELLING IN EXISTING REQUIREMENT MODELLING APPROACHES 623.6 SUMMARY 644 INTEGRATED MODELLING APPROACHES FOR SOFTWARE SYSTEMS 654.1 INTRODUCTION 654.2 ZACHMAN FRAMEWORK FOR ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE 654.3 CURTIS’S MODELLING PERSPECTIVES FOR SOFTWARE PROCESS 684.4 INTEGRATIVE APPROACH TO MULTI-PERSPECTIVES BUSINESS PROCESS MODELLING 694.5 RELEVANCE OF MULTI-PERSPECTIVES MODELLING FRAMEWORK TO QR MODELLING 704.6 SUMMARY 735 QRMF: QUALITY REQUIREMENTS MODELLING FRAMEWORK 745.1 INTRODUCTION 745.2 QRMF OVERVIEW 745.3 QUALITY REQUIREMENTS CONCEPTS 765.3.1 Quality Requirements Concerns 775.3.2 Quality Requirements Description 785.3.3 Quality Requirement Description Schema 835.4 QRMF REPRESENTATIONAL SCHEMA STRUCTURE 845.4.1 Row One: Strategic Level 865.4.2 Row Two: Tactical Level 875.4.3 Row Three: Operational Level 875.4.4 Column One: Goal View 885.4.5 Column Two: Agent View 885.4.6 Column Three: Structure View 895.4.7 Column Four: Function View 895.4.8 Column Five: Architecture View 895.4.9 Column Six: Behaviour View 905.5 THE FRAMEWORK CELLS – REPRESENTING DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES OF QR 905.5.1 Strategic Goal, Cell (1,1) 915.5.2 Strategic Agent, Cell (1,2) 935.5.3 Strategic Structure, Cell (1,3) 935.5.4 Strategic Function, Cell (1,4) 935.5.5 Strategic Architecture, Cell (1,5) 935.5.6 Strategic Behaviour, Cell (1,6) 945.5.7 Tactical Goal, Cell (2,1) 945.5.8 Tactical Agent, Cell (2,2) 955.5.9 Tactical Structure, Cell (2,3) 955.5.10 Tactical Function, Cell (2,4) 955.5.11 Tactical Architecture, Cell (2,5) 965.5.12 Tactical Behaviour, Cell (2,6) 965.5.13 Operational Goal, Cell (3,1) 975.5.14 Operational Agent, Cell (3,2) 975.5.15 Operational Structure, Cell (3,3) 975.5.16 Operational Function, Cell (3,4) 985.5.17 Operational Architecture, Cell (3,5) 985.5.18 Operational Behaviour, Cell (3,6) 995.6 THE QRMF CONTRIBUTIONS AND FEATURES 995.7 SUMMARY 1006 THE QRMF META-MODEL 1026.1 INTRODUCTION 1026.2 QRMF META-MODEL STRUCTURE 1026.2.1 The Meta-Meta Level 1036.2.2 The Meta-Level 1046.2.3 The Domain Level 1046.2.4 The Instance level 1046.3 QRMF META-MODEL 1046.3.1 Goal package 1056.3.2 Agent package 1056.3.3 Structure package 1066.3.4 Function package 1066.3.5 Architectural package 1066.3.6 Behaviour package 1076.4 THE GOAL META-MODEL 1076.5 AGENT META-MODEL 1096.6 STRUCTURE META-MODEL 1116.7 FUNCTION META-MODEL 1126.8 ARCHITECTURE META-MODEL 1146.9 BEHAVIOUR META-MODEL 1166.10 SUMMARY 1187 THE QRMF MODELLING PROCESS 1207.1 OVERALL MODELLING PROCESS FOR THE FRAMEWORK 1207.2 PHASE ONE: CAPTURE STRATEGIC REQUIREMENTS 1227.3 PHASE TWO: CAPTURE TACTICAL REQUIREMENTS 1257.4 PHASE THREE: CAPTURE OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS 1327.5 SUMMARY 1418 CASE STUDY: APPLYING THE QRMF TO A RADIOLOGY REPORTING SYSTEM 1438.1 CASE STUDY HYPOTHESIS AND THE EVALUATION MEASURES 1438.2 BACKGROUND FOR THE PILOT STUDY 1448.3 CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE CASE STUDY 1488.4 CONDUCTING THE CASE STUDY 1498.4.1 Phase One: Strategic Level 1498.4.2 Phase Two: Tactical level 1548.4.3 Phase Three: Operational Level 1578.5 CASE STUDY ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 1669 APPLICABILITY AND COMPARISON WITH RELATED WORKS 1689.1 INTRODUCTION 1689.2 EVALUATION OF THE APPLICABILITY OF THE QRMF META-MODEL 1689.2.1 Applicability to Convey Generic Concepts for Goal Modelling View 1699.2.2 Applicability to Convey Generic Concepts for architecture Modelling View 1709.3 EVALUATION OF THE APPLICABILITY OF THE QRMF MODELLING PROCESS 1719.3.1 Applicability of the Modelling Process to Adopting the QRMF Via Object-Oriented Approach: 1729.3.2 Applicability of the Modelling Process to the Adoption of the QRMF by the Process-Oriented Approach: 1759.3.3 Summary of the Analysis 1779.4 EVALUATION OF QRMF AGAINST RELATED WORK 1799.4.1 Process-Oriented Approaches to QR 1799.4.2 Extension of Requirements Models to Address QR 1829.5 SUMMARY 18510 CONCLUSION 18710.1 THESIS CONTRIBUTIONS 18710.2 LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH 18910.3 FUTURE WORK 190REFERENCES 191APPENDIX A 201APPENDIX B 204
Abstract:
In recent years, a considerable amount of research has been conducted in modelling non-functional requirements (NFR) or Quality Requirements (QR). However, in comparison with functional requirements (FR) modelling, QR models are still immature and have not been widely adopted. The fundamental reason for this shortfall outlined in this thesis is that the existing QR modelling approaches have not adequately considered the challenging nature of QRs. In this thesis, this limitation is addressed through integrating QR modelling with FR modelling in a multi-perspective modelling framework. This framework, thus called QRMF (Quality Requirements Modelling Framework), is developed offering a process-oriented approach to modelling QR from different views and at different phases of requirement. These models are brought together in a descriptive representation schema, which represents a logical structure to guide the construction of requirement models comprehensively and with consistency. The research presented in the thesis introduces a generic meta-meta model for QRMF to aid understanding the abstract concepts and further guide the modelling process; it offers a reference blueprint to develop a modelling tool applicable to the framework. QRMF is supported by a modelling process, which guides requirement engineers to capture a set of complete, traceable and comprehensible QR models for software system. The thesis presents a case study, which evaluates the practicality and applicability of the QRMF. Finally, the framework is evaluated theoretically, through comparing and contrasting related approaches found in the literature

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University researcher(s):

Record metadata

Manchester eScholar ID:
uk-ac-man-scw:227919
Created by:
Saeedi, Kawther
Created:
25th June, 2014, 17:55:55
Last modified by:
Saeedi, Kawther
Last modified:
25th June, 2014, 18:17:03

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