Complete thesis - Murdoch University

Figure 2.4: The catastrophe-cycle RE process(Nguyen and Swatman, 2000a)example, Carroll and Swatman (1999); Nguyen and Swatman (2000b)) proposes a catastrophecyclemodel of RE (see Figure 2.4) whereby each cycle consists of structuring the problemspace; developing a mature understanding; building complexity and then simplifying thisthrough insight or critical thought. This behaviour has been observed in other domainswhere ill-structure and/or creative work features strongly, (examples include design (Lawson,1997; Suwa et al, 2000) and architecture (Hadamard, 1945)).Increased understanding of the problem (the essential complexity) leads to simplification ofthe model and hence reduction of the incidental complexity (Nguyen and Swatman, 2000b)that is the result of the poor fit between the structure of the model and the structure of theworld the model is representing.More recently this model has been revised, to acknowledge a plateau state of mature understandingbefore the next cycle of complexity-building. Raisey et al (2006) suggest this periodof stability occurs when the current complexity measure is lower than or approximately equalto the point that preceded the peak (see Figure 2.5).The results of this knowledge discovery leads, not to a problem-solution (which assumes aproblem can be defined), but to an ‘evolved fit’ between all stakeholders within the problemspace. This argument supports Carroll and Swatman (1997), who suggest that the term‘developing requirements’ acknowledges that there is no definitive set of requirements to bedetermined, discovered or uncovered.52