An Empirical Evaluation of the i* Framework in a Model-Based Software Generation Environment

Organizational modelling has been found to be very effective in facilitating the elicitation of requirements for organizational information systems. In this context, the i* modelling framework has been used widely in research and – some – industrial projects. However, no empirical evaluation exists to-date to identify areas of strength as well as weaknesses of the framework. This paper presents the results of an empirical evaluation of i* using industrial case studies. These were conducted in collaboration with an industrial partner who employs an object-oriented and model-driven approach for software development. The evaluation of i* uses a feature-based framework. The paper reports on lessons learned from this experience, both in terms of strengths and detected weaknesses. The results of this evaluation can play an important role in guiding extensions of the i* framework.