Requirement Elicitation
Definition
Requirement Elicitation is the process of actively discovering, gathering, and uncovering requirements from stakeholders (users, customers, domain experts) — often called the "gathering" or "capturing" phase of requirements engineering.
Why "Elicitation" and Not Just "Gathering"?
Requirements are rarely handed over ready-made — they must be actively drawn out, since stakeholders often:
- Don't know exactly what they want
- Assume some things are "obvious" and don't mention them
- Have conflicting needs with other stakeholders
- Struggle to articulate technical needs clearly
Elicitation Techniques
| Technique | Description |
|---|---|
| Interviews | One-on-one or group discussions with stakeholders (structured/unstructured) |
| Questionnaires/Surveys | Collect input from a large number of users |
| Brainstorming | Group sessions to generate ideas freely |
| Facilitated workshops (JAD) | Joint Application Development — structured group sessions with all stakeholders |
| Observation (Contextual Inquiry) | Watching users perform their current tasks in their real environment |
| Prototyping | Building a mock-up to elicit feedback and refine understanding |
| Use Case / Scenario Analysis | Walking through specific usage scenarios to surface requirements |
| Document Analysis | Reviewing existing systems, manuals, forms, and reports |
Challenges in Elicitation
- Communication gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Conflicting requirements from different stakeholders
- Scope creep during elicitation
- Hidden/tacit knowledge that users don't think to mention
- Stakeholders unavailable or unclear about their own needs
Output
A raw, unstructured collection of stakeholder input, which is then refined during Requirement Analysis into a formal, structured SRS.
Exam tip: List at least 5 elicitation techniques with one line each — this is one of the most frequently asked "list and explain" questions in Requirements Engineering.