The FARE Project: Formal Aspects of Requirements Engineering
Department of Business
Systems, University of Wollongong
Project Outline
Requirements engineering is a crucial first step in the software
development process, given that the quality of the software artifacts
developed is directly related to the quality of the initial descriptions
on which this development is based. Requirements engineering faces three
major challenges. First, effective tools and languages need to be
developed through which requirements can be elicited, articulated and
represented. Second, automated support needs to be provided for ensuring
compliance with certain normative criteria, such as completeness,
traceability, verifiability and reusability. Finally, several aspects
of the requirements engineering process need specialized support, including
requirements evolution and viewpoints and inconsistency management.
Existing frameworks for requirements engineering are severely deficient in
the face of these challenges. Requirements engineering processes, as well
some of the normative criteria mentioned above, are typically poorly
understood and lack sound formal definitions. Requirements modelling
languages tend to be overloaded with linguistic constructs, conceptually
cluttered and lack formal semantics.
This project seeks to address these deficiencies by developing a formal
framework that includes a parsimonious conceptual modelling language at the
front-end and an underlying formal knowledge representation language based
on which the normative requirements criteria and processes such as evolution
and management of inconsistency and multiple viewpoints could be formally
defined. This would thus serve as the basis for a requirements engineering
toolkit that would provide comprehensive automated support and enjoy the
benefits of clear semantics, formal verifiability and their concomitant
impact on software quality.
Funding
- Funding sought under the ARC Large Grants Scheme. (Breaking news:
An Australian Research Council Large Grant worth $153,000 has just been
awarded to support this project).
- Faculty of Commerce, University of Wollongong Internal Grant
held by Dr. Aditya K. Ghose.
- University of Wollongong, Office of Research Grant held by Dr.
Aditya K. Ghose.
Post-Graduate Research Opportunities
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find out more about opportunities for research and post-graduate studies
related to this project.
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