Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Objectives At the completion of this subject students should know frameworks for understanding and evaluating approaches to systems analysis within an organisational context with a particular focus on conceptual modelling; understand issues relevant to selecting approaches to requirements acquisition and modelling within organisations; be able to compare particular approaches to requirements acquisition and modelling and plan their effective use within organisations; and recognise the value of recent research and innovation in requirements acquisition and modelling.
Synopsis This subject addresses current issues in requirements acquisition and modelling in depth. The focus is on data architecture and the data model design process and on approaches to systems development and their use within organisations. The following topics are covered. Data architecture and the data model design process: data architecture development and representation, the role of experience in conceptual data modelling, re-use in conceptual data modelling, effective use of data architectures within organisations, evaluating the quality of conceptual data models, explaining data architecture designs. Approaches to systems development and their use within organisations: evolution of approaches to systems development, frameworks for evaluating and selecting approaches, socio-technical and soft approaches, the Multiview approach, viewpoint development for requirements definition, the organisational context for systems development.
Assessment Written (two 3000-word papers): each 50%