Towards Extension Mechanisms in iStar 2.0

iStar has been extended since its initial proposal in the 90’s. In a previous work we have identified that 96 extensions had been proposed until 2016. It is worth noting that since 2016 the language notation is under standardisation. However, new extensions continue to be proposed. So, it is essential to discuss extension mechanisms to be included in the new standard. Hence, in this paper, we present some preliminary results related to this topic. We performed an exploratory study to analyse previous extensions and identified patterns of lightweight representations. The results of this study point out to 8 objectives and their representations. Furthermore, we used a survey to identify the opinion of 12 experts about this theme. Most of the participants considered important to include extension mechanisms in iStar, and indicated the light-weight representations of extensions that should be considered in this proposal. Finally, we discuss possible ways to propose the extension mechanisms in iStar 2.0 and present a preliminary proposal of these mechanisms.