Generating domain-specific methodical knowledge for requirement analysis based on methodology ontology

A methodology ontology is proposed to help requirement analysis. It helps the software engineer to generate methodical knowledge for requirement analysis (RA). It includes a method library and a set of modeling support entities. The method library contains method templates and components, e.g., primitive methods, inference functions, inference structures, domain models, and a domain ontology. The modeling support entities use the library to construct the desired methodical knowledge. An example is given showing how this approach constructs an object-oriented RA method. Thus generated methodical knowledge can be further coupled with domain knowledge to form a domain-specific RA tool, which relieves the software engineer of selecting and applying a distinct RA tool for a domain. This approach allows ready enhancement, since it is designed as an open architecture, which helps us to evolve it to assimilate new software methodology. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.