Chapter 6 Fact-Finding Techniques for Requirements Discovery
True/False Questions
1.Preliminary investigation includes those techniques used by systems analysts to identify or extract system problems and solution requirements from the user community.
Answer: False
Rationale: Requirements discovery includes those techniques used by systems analysts to identify or extract system problems and solution requirements from the user community.
2.System requirements that specify what the information system must do are referred to as functional requirements.
Answer: True
3.Another name for a system requirement is business requirement.
Answer: True
4.Failure to correctly identify system requirements can lead to higher maintenance costs over the life of the system..
Answer: True
5.System requirements that specify a property or quality the system must have are frequently referred to as functional requirements.
Answer: False
Rationale: System requirements that specify a property or quality the system must have are frequently referred to as nonfunctional requirements.
6.The purpose of requirements discovery and management is to correctly identify the knowledge, process and communication requirements for the users of the new system.
Answer: True
7.Based on Boehm's findings, an erroneous requirement that goes undetected and unfixed until the operations phase may cost 1,000 times more than it would have cost if it were detected and fixed in the requirements phase.
Answer: True
8.Requirements discovery consists of the following activities: (1) problem discovery and analysis; (2) requirements discovery; (3) documenting and analyzing requirements; and (4) requirements management.
Answer: True
9.The Ishikawa diagram is often referred to as a cause-and-effect diagram or a fishbone diagram.
Answer: True
10.Fact-finding is the formal process of using research, interviews, questionnaires, sampling and other techniques to collect information about problems, requirements, and preferences.
Answer: True Page: 212
11.Another name for fact-finding is information gathering.
Answer: True Page: 212
12.Another name for fact-finding is a non-functional requirement.
Answer: False Page: 212
Rationale: Another name for fact-finding is information gathering.
13.A requirements definition document should consist of the following: (1) functions and services that the system should provide; (2) nonfunctional requirements including the system's features, characteristics, and attributes; (3) constraints that restrict the development of the system or under which the system must operate; and (4) information about other systems the system must operate.
Answer: True Page: 214
14.Requirements validation checks the requirements definition document for accuracy, completeness, consistency, and conformance to standards.
Answer: True Page: 214
15.Requirements validation checks the systems proposal for the inclusion of data flow diagrams and entity relationship diagrams for all of the requirements.
Answer: False Page: 214
Rationale: Requirements validation checks the requirements definition document for accuracy, completeness, consistency, and conformance to standards.
16.Requirements management is the process of managing change to the requirements.
Answer: True Page: 215
17.Sampling is the activity of sampling the requirements from the requirements definition to insure requirements validation.
Answer: False
Rationale: Sampling is the process of collecting a representative sample of documents, forms and records.
18.Randomization is a sampling technique characterized as having no predetermined pattern or plan for selecting sample data.
Answer: True
19.Randomization is a sampling technique that attempts to reduce the variance of the estimates by spreading out the sampling and by avoiding very high or low estimates.
Answer: False
Rationale: Stratification is a sampling technique that attempts to reduce the variance of the estimates by spreading out the sampling and by avoiding very high or low estimates. Randomization is a sampling technique characterized as having no predetermined pattern or plan for selecting sample data.
20.Stratification is a sampling technique characterized as having no predetermined pattern or plan for selecting sample data.
Answer: False
Rationale: Randomization is a sampling technique characterized as having no predetermined pattern or plan for selecting sample data. Stratification is a sampling technique that attempts to reduce the variance of the estimates by spreading out the sampling and by avoiding very high or low estimates.
21.Observation is a fact-finding technique wherein the systems analyst either participates in or watches a person perform activities to learn about the system.
Answer: True
22.Work sampling is a fact-finding technique that involves a large number of observations taken at random intervals.
Answer: True
23.Questionnaires are documents that allow the analyst to collect information and opinions from respondents.
Answer: True
24.An advantage of a questionnaire is that it can be answered quickly.
Answer: True
25.An advantage of a questionnaire is that it provides a relatively inexpensive means for gathering data from a large number of individuals.
Answer: True
26.A disadvantage of a questionnaire is its high cost of gathering data from a large number of individuals.
Answer: False
Rationale: An advantage of a questionnaire is its high cost of gathering data from a large number of individuals.
27.A disadvantage of a questionnaire is that responses take a long time to tabulate.
Answer: False
Rationale: An advantage of a questionnaire is that responses can be tabulated and analyzed quickly.
28.An advantage of a questionnaire is that responses can be tabulated and analyzed quickly.
Answer: True
29.An advantage of questionnaire is that the number of respondents is generally high.
Answer: False
Rationale: A disadvantage of a questionnaire is that the number of respondents is often low
30.An advantage of observation is that it tends to let the analyst observe the normal volume and difficulty of work.
Answer: False Page: 219
Rationale: A disadvantage of observation is that the work being observed may not involve the level of difficulty or the volume normally experienced.
31.An advantage of questionnaires is their flexibility.
Answer: False
Rationale: A disadvantage of questionnaires is their inflexibility.
32.A disadvantage of questionnaires is their inflexibility.
Answer: True
33.A disadvantage of a questionnaire is that the analyst cannot observe and analyze the body language of the respondent.
Answer: True
34.A disadvantage of a questionnaire is that there is no immediate opportunity to clarify a vague or incomplete answer to any question.
Answer: True
35.An advantage of a questionnaire is that good questionnaires are easy to prepare.
Answer: False
Rationale: Good questionnaires are hard to prepare.
36.A disadvantage of a questionnaire is that good questionnaires are very difficult to prepare.
Answer: True
37.An advantage of observation is that it is relatively inexpensive compared to other fact-finding techniques.
Answer: True Page: 219
38.Questionnaires allow individuals to maintain their anonymity.
Answer: True
39.Interviews are a fact-finding technique whereby the systems analysts collect information from individuals through face-to-face interaction.
Answer: True
40.The personal interview is generally recognized as the most important and most often used fact-finding technique.
Answer: True
41.Interviewing is a costly fact-finding approach.
Answer: True
42.Interviewing can be used to achieve any or all of the following goals: find facts; verify facts; clarify facts; generate enthusiasm; get the end-user involved; identify the requirements; and solicit ideas and opinions.
Answer: True
43.The purpose of the Ishikawa diagram is to explore the causes and effects of problems.
Answer: True
44.Typically an Ishikawa diagram is filled out in a brainstorming session.
Answer: True
45.Interviewing is a very time consuming process.
Answer: True
46.An advantage of an interview is that it permits the analyst to adapt or reword questions for each individual.
Answer: True
47.A disadvantage of an interview is that the interview guide does not permit the analyst to adapt or reword questions for each individual.
Answer: False
Rationale: An advantage of an interview is that it permits the analyst to adapt or reword questions for each individual.
48.An advantage of an interview is that it gives the analyst the opportunity to observe the interviewee's non-verbal communication.
Answer: True
49.An advantage of interviewing is that is less time-consuming than questionnaires, and therefore less costly as a fact-finding approach.
Answer: False
Rationale: A disadvantage of interviewing is that is more time-consuming than questionnaires, and therefore more costly as a fact-finding approach
50.Interviewing is highly dependent on the systems analyst's technical skills.
Answer: False
Rationale: Interviewing is highly dependent on the systems analyst's human relations skills.
51.An important interviewing skill is to be able to control the time consumed by the interview by diplomatically cutting off answers that seem to be leading nowhere.
Answer: False Page: 226
Rationale: Interviewers should avoid assuming an answer is finished or leading nowhere.
52.A disadvantage of interviewing is that it may be impractical due to the location of the interviewees.
Answer: True
53.Unstructured interviews are conducted with only a general goal or subject in mind, and with few, if any, specific questions. The interviewer counts on the interviewee to provide a framework and direct the conversation.
Answer: True
54.Unstructured interviews are conducted with a specific set of free-format questions to ask the interviewee.
Answer: False
Rationale: Unstructured interviews are conducted with only a general goal or subject in mind, and with few, if any, specific questions. The interviewer counts on the interviewee to provide a framework and direct the conversation.
55.In structured interviews, the interviewer has a specific set of questions to ask the interviewee.
Answer: True
56.In structured interviews, the interview is structured by the interviewee, not the interviewer.
Answer: False
Rationale: In structured interviews, the interview is structured by the interviewer, not the interviewee.
57.Open-ended questions allow the interviewee to respond in any way that seems appropriate.
Answer: True
58.Closed-ended questions restrict answers to either specific choices or short, direct responses.
Answer: True
59.The following is an example of an open-ended question: "What do you need the new system to do?"
Answer: True
60.An interview guide is a list of specific questions the interviewer will ask the interviewee.
Answer: True Page: 224
61.To help maintain control of the interview, an interviewer should dress more formally that the interviewee.
Answer: False Page: 226
Rationale: Dress to match the interviewee.
62.An interview question should be long and complex enough to cover all points for which an interviewer wants answers.
Answer: False Page: 224
Rationale: Avoid long or complex questions.
63.To help set the context of a question, it is best to give your own opinion to preface asking a question of an interviewee.
Answer: False Page: 224
Rationale: Personal opinion should not be included as part of the question.
64.The higher the management level of the interviewee, the more time should be scheduled for the interview.
Answer: False Page: 224
Rationale: The higher the management level of the interviewee, the less time should be scheduled.
65.Interviewers should prepare an interview guide in advance and not skip any of the planned questions.
Answer: False Page: 226
Rationale: Questions can be bypassed if they have been answered earlier or they are deemed irrelevant based on previous answers.
66.If you cannot interview someone in person, a telephone or e-mail interview will work just as well.
Answer: False Page: 227
Rationale: Only 7 percent of a person's total feelings is communicated verbally.
67.The interviewer should avoid interrupting with a lot of "uh-huh's."
Answer: False Page: 227
Rationale: Let the interviewee know you are listening.
68.To establish rapport during an interview, position yourself within 1.5 feet of the interviewee.
Answer: True Page: 228
Rationale: An analyst conducts most interviews in the personal zone (1.5 to 4 feet).
69.During the interview conclusion, you should express appreciation and provide answers to any questions posed by the interviewee. The conclusion is important for maintaining rapport and trust with the interviewee.
Answer: True Page: 226
70.Body language is the verbal communication that we all communicate clearly and with awareness.
Answer: False Page: 227
Rationale: Body language is the nonverbal communication that we all communicate and are usually unaware of.
71.Discovery prototyping is the act of building a small-scale, representative or working model of the users' requirements to discover or verify those requirements.
Answer: True Page: 229
72.An advantage of discovery prototyping is that it allows users and developers to experiment with the software and develop an understanding of how the system might work.
Answer: True Page: 229
73.An advantage of discovery prototyping is that it aids in determining the feasibility and usefulness of the system before high development costs are incurred.
Answer: True Page: 229
74.An advantage of discovery prototyping is that the prototype can serve as a training mechanism for users.
Answer: True Page: 229
75.An advantage of discovery prototyping is that it may minimize the time spent for fact-finding and help define more stable and reliable requirements.
Answer: True Page: 229
76.A disadvantage of discovery prototyping is that it may increase the time spent on fact-finding.
Answer: False Page: 229
Rationale: An advantage of discovery prototyping is that it may decrease the time spent on fact-finding.
77.An advantage of prototyping is that it tends to lead to realistic expectations for the system on the part of users.
Answer: True Page: 229
Rationale: Users may develop unrealistic expectations based on the performance, reliability, and features of the prototype.
78.Prototypes are generally developed using the same technologies as the final software. In fact, they are often just incomplete versions of the finished system
Answer: False Page: 229
Rationale: Technologies other than the ones used for the final software are frequently used.
79.A disadvantage of discovery prototyping is that users may develop unrealistic expectations based on the performance, reliability and features of the prototype. Prototypes can only simulate system functionality and are incomplete in nature.
Answer: True Page: 229
80.The best prototypes are those that actually grow into the final system.
Answer: False Page: 229
Rationale: Prototypes are most likely discarded when the system is finished.
81.The JRP sponsor serves as the champion for the project.
Answer: True Page: 230
82.The JRP sponsor serves as the leader for the JRP sessions.
Answer: False Page: 230
Rationale: The JRP facilitator serves as the leader for the JRP sessions.
83.A JRP scribe is responsible for keeping records pertaining to everything discussed in the JRP meeting.
Answer: True Page: 231
84.The JRP facilitator is responsible for keeping records pertaining to everything discussed in the JRP meeting.
Answer: False Page: 231
Rationale: A JRP scribe is responsible for keeping records pertaining to everything discussed in the JRP meeting.
85.JRP sessions generally last three to five hours.
Answer: False Page: 231
Rationale: JRP sessions span three to five days or longer.
86.A benefit of JRP is that it actively involves users and management in the development project.
Answer: True
87.A disadvantage of JRP is that it actively isolates users and management during the development project.
Answer: False
Rationale: A benefit of JRP is that it actively involves users and management in the development project.
88.A disadvantage of JRP is that it increases the time required to develop systems. This occurs because the JRP meetings take longer than traditional interviewing.
Answer: False
Rationale: An advantage of JRP is that it reduces the time required to develop systems. This occurs because the JRP meetings are shorter in duration than traditional interviewing
89.When JRP incorporates prototyping as a means of confirming requirements and obtaining design approvals, the benefits of prototyping are also realized.
Answer: True
90.In a fishbone diagram the various problems and opportunities for a systems project are drawn as bones off the main backbone.
Answer: False
Rationale: The fish's head is a single problem, and the possible causes of the problem are drawn as bones.
Multiple Choice Questions
91.The techniques used by systems analysts to identify or extract system problems and solution requirements is known as:
A)problem analysis
B)requirements discovery
C)system requirement
D)preliminary investigation
E)none of these
Answer: B
92.System requirements are also called:
A)requirements discovery
B)problem analysis requirements
C)business requirements
D)preliminary requirements
E)none of these
Answer: C
93.Something that the information system must do or a property it must have is called a:
A)functional requirement
B)nonfunctional requirement
C)system requirement
D)scope
E)none of these
Answer: C
94.A function or feature that highlights what a system must do is known as:
A)requirements discovery
B)problem requirement
C)functional requirement
D)nonfunctional requirement
E)none of these
Answer: C
95.Which of the following might happen if system requirements are incorrect?
A)the system may cost more than budgeted
B)users may refuse to use the system
C)the system could have high downtime
D)A and B
E)all of these
Answer: E
96.An Ishikawa diagram is also referred to as:
A)cause-and-effect diagram
B)data flow diagram
C)fishbone diagram
D)both (a) and (c)
E)entity relationship diagram
Answer: D
97.Which of the following is NOT one of the seven common fact-finding techniques?
A)research and site visits
B)prototyping
C)Ishikawa diagrams
D)joint requirements planning
E)none of these
Answer: C Page: 215
98.Some of the initial requirements gathered from stakeholders may be:
A)conflicting
B)overlapping
C)infeasible
D)ambiguous
E)all of these
Answer: E Page: 213
99.The process of collecting a representative sample of documents, forms and records is known as:
A)sampling
B)prototyping
C)modeling
D)patterning
E)none of these
Answer: A
100.A sampling technique that is characterized as having no predetermined pattern or plan of selecting sample data is known as:
A)observation
B)proxemics
C)randomization
D)stratification
E)none of these
Answer: C
101.A systematic sampling technique that attempts to reduce the variance of the estimates by spreading out the sampling or by avoiding very high or low estimates is:
A)observation
B)proxemics
C)randomization
D)stratification
E)none of these
Answer: D
102.A fact-finding technique wherein the systems analyst either participates in or watches a person perform activities to learn about the system is: