ict117 week05 data gather techniques s

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17 March, 2011 ICT117 Systems Analysis & Design, Semester 1, 2011

Includes John Wiley& Sons Inc © material

2

Data gathering techniques

Interviews

Questionnaires

ObservationJAD sessions

Sampling

Previous project reports

System documentation



Interviewsgenerally the most important and widely-used

method for data gathering

may be formal and structured or informal andunstructured

may be done with groups or individuals

17 March, 2011 3ICT117 Systems Analysis & Design, Semester 1, 2011






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Interview advantages

Suitable for extensive and complex information

Reveals insights, opinions, politics and informal

proceduresAllows for feedback on comments thus

revealing attitudes of subjects

Establishes rapport between analysts, subjects

Veracity cues available from body language



Interview planning

Decide who to interview

Get background information

Plan your questionsestablish your objectives

what do you expect them to know

do you give the interviewee a copy of the

questions?

17 March, 2011 5ICT117 Systems Analysis & Design, Semester 1, 2011






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Interview planningEstablish your objectives

Identify the most appropriate subjects

Get background informationPlan your questions:

question sequence – funnel, pyramid

question style – open, closed, probe, mirror

Send questions to subject in advance?





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Useful interview heuristicsAsk about traffic volumes – high, low, typical

Triangulate the responses you receive

Be prepared to accept inconsistencies - they

do exist

Always confirm that you have correctlyinterpreted what the interviewee said

Immediately write up the interview report as a

primary source document for analysisUse recording devices if possible, for accuracy





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Obstacles to a good interviewPerceived threat to self image, status

Emotional reactions to sensitive subjects

Genuinely forgetting key facts

Lying to hide key facts

Mistaking inference for observation

Rival demands for time (trivialisation)

Unacknowledged bias





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Disadvantages of interviewsInterviews take a lot of time both for

interviewer and interviewee

They are often difficult to organise

Success is heavily dependent on the inter-

personal skills of the interviewer

a poorly conducted interview not only fails

to get you the information you need, it can

also make the person you interviewed

antagonistic to you and to the whole project





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Post-Interview write-up





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QuestionnairesA number of written questions are sent to the

participants for a written response

The questionnaire responses can take many forms:

write specific comments about a situationselect from a list of provided responses (multi-choice)

fill in the blank

indicate response on a Likert scale (rating scale)

Permit quantitative and qualitative answers

May lack credibility due to its impersonal nature

Typically suffer from low response rates





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Good questionnaireshave:

validity

reliabilityface validity

a design which caters for the way you willanalyse them

easy administration and scoring

and are ALWAYS piloted





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Questions should be:Appropriate for the respondents

Worded precisely and accurately

Designed for easy scoringGrouped for similarity of information content





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Questionnaire advantagesAn economical method for gathering data from

large numbers of people

Fast and easy to implement and administer

with minimal logistical problemsResults can be tabulated rapidly and analysed

readily

Allow respondents to be anonymous, therefore

more likely to be truthful (?)Gives respondents time to consider their

answers





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Questionnaire disadvantagesEffective questionnaires are difficult toconstruct

They produce only specific and limitedamounts of information

Frequently suffer from low return ratesleading to possible statistical bias

Provide no opportunity to clarify vague orincomplete answers or misinterpreted

questions

Lack non-verbal cues to communication





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Observation: AdvantagesAnalyst can see exactly how the work is done

Provides specific details of processes in a way

that no other data gathering method canemulate

Requires no direct input from participants: is

therefore often cheap and easy to arrange

Enables precise measurement of aspects ofwork





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Observation: DisadvantagesCan only show current processes

Time-dependence of some tasks can give misleadingideas about some aspects of the system e.g. observe

work at peak time vs. observe at low pressure timeTends to emphasise physical work flows at the expense

of other forms of information e.g. the nature of theprocesses can be hidden behind physical activity

Can introduce Hawthorne-effect biases where people

behave differently from normal when observed





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Reports and SystemDocumentationExisting written records which are a valuable source of

data about the system and the organisation

May include information about:

the organisation, its people and policies

high level business functions and objectives

the system and its input forms, manuals, etc

the technical environment for system developmentMay include informal material used by people involved

with the system





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Reports and Documentation:AdvantagesIts existence and authorship is unchallenged

It is generally easily availableIt may provide very detailed and precise

information (especially with complex or

technical material)

It may provide valuable background materialto an interview or observation session





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Reports and Documentation:Disadvantages

It will almost certainly be old and out of date

(often, with no modification history)It is subject to interpretation and does not

permit further explanation or clarification

unless the author is present

It will focus on the particular aspects of theprevious analysis – maybe not relevant





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Joint ApplicationDevelopment: JAD

Read Chapter 4, pp132-136 for a detailed

treatment of JAD



17 March, 2011 ICT117 Systems Analysis & Design,

Semester 1, 2011 Includes John Wiley&

Sons Inc © material

24

The JAD SessionTend to last 5 to 10 days over a 3 week period

Prepare questions as for interviews

Provide a formal agenda and ground rules

Facilitator activities:

Keep the session on track

Help with technical terms and jargon

Record group input

Help resolve issues

Post-session follow-up



17 March, 2011 ICT117 Systems Analysis & Design,

Semester 1, 2011 Includes John Wiley&

Sons Inc © material

25

Problems in JAD SessionsReducing domination by pushy personalities

Encouraging non-contributors

Stopping side discussionsAgenda merry-go-round: avoiding hobby-horses

Violent disagreement from terminologymismatch/misunderstanding

Unresolved conflict

True conflictUse subtle humor, not jokes





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Data Gathering outcomes

Give a clear understanding of:

how the system works at present

how it fits in to the current organisation

what problems there are at present

what opportunities there are for improvement





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Data gathering outcomes

It is impossible to discuss all aspects of the systemwith all those involved, there will always be gapsin the analyst's understanding

Understanding and interpretation of events

depends on one’s perspective: client andanalyst

It may be impossible to reconcile the views ofindividuals with different perspectives

Organisational and system environments changeso quickly that any data gathered are soon out ofdate





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The System Proposal

Also known as the Functional Requirements

Specification (FRS)

Requirements Gathering provides the raw

material for the FRS document.

The FRS is the plan for the technical

development of the new Information

System

Data gathered is represented as graphical

models (following lectures) and as

descriptive text in the FRS





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Statement of business problem

Feasibility analysis of solution

Models of current system (optional)Models of required system functions

Description / models of Human-Computerinterfaces

Models of required data structuresDescription of non-functional requirements(refer to Figure 4-14, pg 145 for a template)

Functional Requirements

Specification

ict117 week05 data gather techniques s

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