The three dimensions of requirements engineering: a framework and its applications

Abstract There is an increasing number of contributions on how to solve the various problems within requirements engineering (RE). The purpose of this paper is to identify the main goals to be reached during the RE process in order to develop a framework for RE. This framework consists of three dimensions: • • the specification dimension • • the representation dimension • • the agreement dimension. We show how this framework can be used to classify and clarify current RE research as well as RE support offered by methods and tools. In addition, the framework can be applied to the analysis of existing RE practise and the establishment of suitable process guidance. Last but not least, the framework offers a first step towards a common understanding of RE.

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