A method of software requirements specification and validation for global software development

摘要

Global software development (GSD), where software teams are located in different parts of the world, has become increasingly popular. To devise a high-quality software requirements specification (SRS), effective communication and collaboration between stakeholders are necessary for GSD. However, geographical distance, cultural diversity, differences in time zones and language barriers create difficulties for stakeholders in engaging in effective collaboration. Taking into consideration the factors involved in GSD, previous research showed that the ways by which requirements are documented and validated for collocated software development projects cannot be used effectively for GSD. In this paper, we present a method of GSD requirements specification and validation. Our method begins with generating a requirements graph to understand details of the software requirements with respect to different GSD sites. The information obtained from a requirements graph is to be contained in a requirements specification document, and then be circulated between different GSD sites for reviewing, updating and finalizing its content. Finally, the requirements contained in the specification document are to be validated by generating and comparing validation matrices at different GSD sites. Past researchers used student groups in a university environment to play the roles of stakeholders in experiments in GSD studies. We therefore validate our method by applying it to a case study of an online shopping system, where the roles of stakeholders were played by a group of students.