Leonor Barroca

Composing requirements using problem frames

Problem frames are a systematic approach to the decomposition of problems that allows us to relate requirements, domain properties, and machine specifications. Having decomposed a problem, one approach to solving it is through a process of composing solutions to sub-problems. In This work, we contribute to supporting such a process by providing a way to compose multiple problem frames. We develop a systematic approach to composing inconsistent requirements. We introduce composition frames, a requirements construct that models relevant aspects of composition and thus deals with unwanted effects, such as interference of overlapping reactions to events. Throughout the paper, we use a simple case study to illustrate and validate our ideas.

Civic crowdfunding research: Challenges, opportunities, and future agenda

Civic crowdfunding is a sub-type of crowdfunding through which citizens, in collaboration with government, fund projects providing a community service. Although in the early stages of development, civic crowdfunding is a promising area for both research and application due to its potential impact on citizen engagement, as well as its influence on the success of a wide range of civic projects ranging from physical structures to amenities and local services. However, the field remains under-addressed in academic research and underdeveloped in terms of the number of civic projects posted to crowdfunding platforms. Acknowledging these issues, we outline the history of civic crowdfunding and describe the current landscape, focusing on online crowdfunding platforms established specifically for the funding of civic projects (Citizinvestor, ioby, Neighbor.ly, Spacehive). The challenges and the opportunities of civic crowdfunding are examined, and its distinguishing characteristics are outlined, including a consideration of the impact of social media and platform features. We then propose a research agenda to help shape the future of this emergent field.

Specification and verification of reactive system behaviour: The Railroad Crossing example

In this paper we present an approach to the specification and verification of reactive systems. The approach uses Timed Statecharts and Real Time Logic for the specification of temporal behaviour, and theorem proving techniques for the verification of safety and utility properties. Formal verification is achieved through the automation of semi-formal (rigorous) proofs using a theorem prover (Proofpower HOL). To illustrate the approach, we use the Railroad Crossing Problem, which has been proposed, along with a set of criteria for assessment, as a benchmark for the comparison of real-time formalisms. We conclude with our assessment of the approach against the proposed criteria.

Problem Frames: A Case for Coordination

We show how principles of separation of Coordination from Computation can be used to endow the Problem Frames approach to problem analysis with representation schemes. These representation schemes facilitate the way evolution of requirements or of the application domain can be reflected in the decomposition structure, making it easier to change.

Enterprise frameworks for workflow management systems

This paper proposes an enterprise framework for workflow management (WFM) systems based on the Workflow Management Coalition generic architecture. In addition, it presents one smaller object‐oriented framework for task scheduling. This framework is obtained by refining one of the packages of the overall framework. The task scheduling framework was designed following the concept of model framework as in Catalysis. This sort of framework can be used as a template to generate code components within an application domain. According to this approach we can develop WFM components that can interoperate within a well‐defined enterprise framework. This paper also presents the process of developing interoperable code components from model frameworks. Copyright

Agile Challenges in Practice: A Thematic Analysis

As agile is maturing and becoming more widely adopted, it is important that researchers are aware of the challenges faced by practitioners and organisations. We undertook a thematic analysis of 193 agile challenges collected at a series of agile conferences and events during 2013 and 2014. Participants were mainly practitioners and business representatives along with some academics. The challenges were thematically analysed by separate authors, synthesised, and a list of seven themes and 27 sub-themes was agreed. Themes were Organisation, Sustainability, Culture, Teams, Scale, Value and Claims and Limitations. We compare our findings against previous attempts to identify and categorise agile challenges. While most themes have persisted we found a shift of focus towards sustainability, business engagement and transformation, as well as claims and limitations. We identify areas for further research and a need for innovative methods of conveying academic research to industry and industrial problems to academia.

A product line architecture for workflow management systems with component-based development

This paper presents a component-based product line architecture for workflow management systems. The process followed to design the proposed architecture was based on Catalysis. Extensions were made to represent variability across the process. The domain of workflow management systems has been shown to be appropriate to the application of the product line approach as there are a standard architecture and models established by a regulatory board, the Workflow Management Coalition. In addition, there is a demand for similar workflow management systems but with some different features. The proposed architecture was evaluated with Rapide simulation tools. The evaluation was based on selected scenarios, thus, avoiding implementation details.

An Introduction and History of Software Architectures, Components, and Reuse

Software components and architectures are gaining considerable support as the way to develop object-oriented systems and business applications. Current developments in component-based software reuse is taking place in the context of some thirty years of history. It is as well to rehearse that history, as we do in this chapter, and draw lessons from it, lest we repeat the errors of the past.

Patterns for service-oriented information exchange requirements

Service-Oriented Computing (SOC) is an emerging computing paradigm that supports loosely-coupled inter-enterprise interactions. SOC interactions are predominantly specified in a procedural manner that defines message sequences intermixing implementation with business requirements. In this paper we present a set of patterns concerning requirements of information exchange between participants engaging in service-oriented interactions. The patterns aim at explicating and elaborating the business requirements driving the interaction and separating them from implementation concerns.

Deepthink: A Second Life Environment for Part-time Research Students at a Distance

This paper reports on the design of a Second Life campus for a new innovative post-graduate research programme at the Open University, UK, a world leader in supported distance higher education. The programme, launched in October 2009, is a part-time Master of Philosophy (MPhil) to be delivered at a distance, supported by a blend of synchronous and asynchronous Internet technologies. This paper briefly discusses the pedagogical thinking behind the Second Life campus, and the way the implementation was designed to meet the pedagogy. The paper also reports on the outcome of an early evaluation we have conducted.