The effects of concept mapping on shared understanding during the requirements elicitation phase of information systems development

There are many problems associated with the development of information systems. Requirements elicitation is the phase of systems development when the systems analyst attempts to understand the conceptual construct of the users) for a particular system. Problems encountered or left unsolved from the requirements elicitation phase may worsen during the remainder of the systems development project. As over 50% of the errors in systems design and development are a result of inaccurate requirements, it is therefore imperative that this phase be completed accurately (Khazanchi & Yadav, 1995). At the heart of the process is the need to create a shared understanding between the user and the analyst. One method for creating a shared understanding is the creation of a joint concept map by the parties involved. Concept maps are graphical representations of conceptual and relationship knowledge of a particular domain. It is hypothesized that combining concept maps with requirements elicitation in an experimental setting will show the benefits of incorporating this technique into the requirements elicitation phase of systems development. These benefits are likely to be seen in an increase in the accuracy of logical models of the system, an increase in the satisfaction with the requirements elicitation session, and an overall level of satisfaction with the concept map itself. An experiment was conducted involving analysts and users working together as a dyad in three treatment groups. Differentiation enabled comparisons to be made between groups using vs. those not using the concept map. The results indicate that the concept map did not assist the analysts during requirements elicitation. These findings are in the opposite direction of prior research, the hypotheses of this research, and the concept mapping theories. The results of this study have important theoretical and practical implications. From a practical point of view, analysts should hold off in their utilization of a concept map for requirements elicitation to assist them in determining the requirements of an information system. From a theoretical point of view, the concept mapping theories did not apply in this particular context, and more research is necessary to fully understand the effects of concept mapping on requirements elicitation.