A controlled experiment to evaluate how styles affect the understandability of requirements specifications

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• 作者：Kamsties ; Erik ; von Knethen ; Antje ; Reussner ; Ralf
• 关键词：Experiment ; Specification style ; Understandability ; Unified modeling language ; Software cost reduction
• 刊名：Information and Software Technology
• 出版年：2003
• 出版时间：November 1, 2003
• 年：2003
• 卷：45
• 期：14
• 页码：955-965
• 全文大小：193 K

文摘

This paper presents a controlled experiment in which two different requirements specification styles (white-box and black-box) were compared concerning the understandability of two requirements specifications from the viewpoint of a customer. The results of the experiment confirm the common belief that black-box requirements specifications (e.g., documented with SCR) are easier to understand from a customer point of view than white-box specifications (e.g., documented with UML). Questions about particular functions and behavior of the specified system were answered faster and more correctly by the participants. This result suggests that using a black-box specification style when communicating with customers is beneficial.