Evaluation of an approach to define elicitation guides of non-functional requirements

Non-functional requirements (NFR) elicitation is a complex activity, since it requires specific knowledge in many different areas, such as performance, security, portability and usability. An approach for the definition of NFR elicitation guides (ADEG-NFR) was proposed with the objective of supporting the requirement engineers in carrying out this activity and providing mechanisms for customer involvement in this process. An elicitation guide consists of a set of questions, templates and examples of requirements to make the elicitation process easier using an appropriate language to customer. Besides, appropriate language to the customer's understanding is the natural language described in a clear way, avoiding the use of technical terms. This study evaluates the results of the experience of use of ADEG-NFR in a software development organisation. Results have shown that ADEG-NFR fulfills its purpose. In addition, the ADEG-NFR evaluation process has identified opportunities for improvement that can help in the evolution and adoption of ADEG-NFR by different organisations in the industry.