Software Requirements & Anthropology

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COEN 285 
NAME: RICARDO GUIA 
HOMEWORK 2 
This week we have discussed various software engineering issues of process, principles, and people. In this 
write up, take the time to reflect on the discussions we have had in class and look back at your notes. With 
the knowledge you have gained so far, answer the following: 
 
1. Anthropology and software requirements engineering overlap in several ways. 
Explain how. 	 
Anthropology and software requirements engineering have a lot of characteristics 
in common. First of all, the definition of anthropology in science1: 
 
• The scientific study of humans, especially of their origin, their behavior, 
and their physical, social, and cultural development. 
 
The requirements engineer applies a lot of different process: elicitation, 
evaluation, specification, etc. However, the one that is similar to the anthropology is the 
elicitation phase. In the elicitation phase the requirements engineer need to understand 
the environment to after can apply a solution. For instance, in the ethnography (“go 
native”)2 and empirical method you acquire the information by experiencing and 
observing. 
In addition, requirement engineering is human-centered: build a product that 
improve or fix any process rather than just create high tech software. Being human-
centered shows another similarity to anthropology. For example, if a requirement 
engineer is looking to create a new app about party venues, they will have to insert their 
selves in this environment: go to clubs, bars, etc. He/she would gather information of 
how usually people seek for parties, if their solution is really effective and what he/she 
could do to make it better. RE’s are only able to create a successful product if they really 
understand their users. If they don’t understand their population, they have higher 
chances to create a product that no one acquire (acquisition), use (activation) or keep 
using it (retention). 
Therefore, anthropology and requirement engineering are similar: know who are 
your users / population in study, their behaviors, and their needs. They are human-
centered: the population is the main object of their study. 
 																																																								1	Definition	from	http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/anthropology	on	10/20/2105	2	Class	notes	on	09/29/2015	
 
2. Should we make it mandatory for software requirement engineers to be trained 
and licensed in the field of anthropology? Why or why not? 
License and train in anthropology shouldn’t be mandatory for software 
requirements engineers. Anthropology study, as mentioned before, is really similar to the 
elicitation phase for requirements engineer. 
However, it is not necessary to have a degree in anthropology to be a good 
observer and have attention to details. There are some knowledge that are tacit and it is 
hard to be transferred. Be a good observer and be part of the environment that you are 
studying is not something that you learn with a license. In fact you need practice to get 
better and watchful to details. 
In fact, having a good perception is what is going to make you catch what you 
need from the population studied. The perception definition3 shows that: 
 
• Perception (from the Latin perceptio, percipio) is the organization, identification, 
and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand 
the environment 
 
Thus, we need keen sense to understand the environment and not years of study or 
license to be a good software engineering. 
In addition, the requirements engineering is looking forward also develop 
specifications for a product, something that anthropologists don’t do. The requirements 
engineering study the environment with a purpose: create a viable solution where he 
perceives an opportunity or problem. 
Therefore, anthropologist and requirement engineer study their population. 
However, the use of the data acquired is completely different. While anthropologist want 
to understand a population to explain the behaviors, the requirement engineer is looking 
for the creation of a product to solve or make easier the life of a community. 
 
 
																																																								3	Definition	from	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perception#cite_note-1	on	10/21/2015