3. System analysts use interactive methods for gathering information requirement

Question

3. System analysts use interactive methods for gathering information requirements. Compare and contrast these methods. Explain what each one is and how they are used. Besides interactive methods, system analysts also use unobtrusive methods for obtaining information requirements. Compare and contrast these methods. Explain what each one is and how they are used.

Now that you have identified both interactive and unobtrusive methods, explain when each is appropriate to use. Finally, what is the biggest complaint for interactive methods and the biggest complaint for unobtrusive methods? (there is no page limit for this question)

Explanation / Answer

Interactive methods

There are three key interactive methods that you can use to elicit human information requirements from organizational members.These three methods are interviewing, joint application design (JAD), and surveying people through questionnaires. Although different in their implementation, these methods have a great deal in common, too. The basis of their shared properties is talking with and listening to people in the organization to understand their interactions with technology through a series of carefully composed questions.

Each of the three interactive methods for information gathering possesses its own established process for you to follow in interacting with users. If followed, these systematic approaches will help ensure proper design and implementation of interviews, JAD workshops, and questionnaires, as well as support insightful analysis of the resulting data. Unobtrusive methods (sampling, investigation, and observing a decision maker’s behavior and physical environment) that do not require the same degree of interactivity between analysts and users will be covered in an upcoming chapter. By using interactive methods with unobtrusive methods you will achieve a more complete portrait of the organization’s information requirements.

During the process of interviewing analysts, listen for HCI concerns relating to ergonomics, aesthetics, usability, and usefulness, as well as goals, feelings, opinions, and informal procedures in interviews with organizational decision makers. Interviews are planned question-and-answer dialogues between two people. Analysts use the interview to develop their relationship with a client, to observe the workplace, and to collect data. Interviews should preferably be conducted in person.

The five steps to take in planning the interview are to read background material, establish interviewing objectives, decide whom to interview, prepare the interviewee, and decide on question types and structure.

Questions are of two basic types: open-ended or closed. Open-ended questions leave open all response options for the interviewee. Closed questions limit the possible options for response. Probes or follow-up questions can be either open-ended or closed, but they ask the respondent for a more detailed reply.

Interviews can be structured in three basic ways: pyramid, funnel, or diamond. Pyramid structures begin with detailed, closed questions and broaden to more generalized questions. Funnel structures begin with open-ended, general questions and then funnel down to more specific, closed questions. Diamond-shaped structures combine the strengths of the other two structures, but they take longer to conduct. Trade-offs are involved when deciding how structured to make interview questions and question sequences.

To cut both the time and cost of personal interviews, analysts may want to consider joint application design (JAD) instead. Using JAD, analysts can both analyze human information requirements and design a user interface with users in a group setting. Careful assessment of the particular organizational culture will help the analyst judge whether JAD is suitable.

By using questionnaires (surveys), systems analysts can gather data on HCI concerns, attitudes, beliefs, behavior, and characteristics from key people in the organization. Surveys are useful if people in the organization are widely dispersed, many people are involved with the systems project, exploratory work is necessary before recommending alternatives, or there is a need for problem sensing before interviews are conducted.

Once objectives for the survey are set, the analyst can begin writing either open-ended or closed questions. Ideally, the questions should be simple, specific, short, free of bias, not patronizing, technically accurate, addressed to those who are knowledgeable, and written at an appropriate reading level. The systems analyst may want to use scales either to measure the attitudes or characteristics of respondents or to have respondents act as judges for the subject of the questionnaire. Scaling is the process of assigning numbers or other symbols to an attribute or characteristic.

Consistent control of the questionnaire format and style can result in a better response rate.Web surveys can be designed to encourage consistent responses. In addition, the meaningful ordering and clustering of questions is important for helping respondents understand the questionnaire. Surveys can be administered in a variety of ways, including electronically via email or theWeb, or with the analyst present in a group of users.

Unobstructive method-

The process of systematically selecting representative elements of a population is called sampling. The purpose of sampling is to select and study documents such as invoices, sales reports, and memos, or perhaps to select and interview, give surveys to, or observe members of the organization. Sampling can reduce cost, speed data gathering, potentially make the study more effective, and possibly reduce the bias in the study.

A systems analyst must follow four steps in designing a good sample. First, there is a need for determining the population itself. Second, the type of sample must be decided. Third, the sample size is calculated. Finally, the data that need to be collected or described must be planned.

The types of samples useful to a systems analyst are convenience samples, purposive samples, simple random samples, and complex random samples. The last type includes the subcategories of systematic sampling and stratified sampling. There are several guidelines to follow when determining sample size.

Systems analysts need to investigate current and archival data and forms, which reveal where the organization has been and where its members believe it is going. Both quantitative and qualitative documents need to be analyzed. Because documents are persuasive messages, it must be recognized that changing them might well change the organization.

Analysts use observation as an information-gathering technique. Through observation they gain insight into what is actually done as users interact with information technology. One way to describe how decision makers behave is to use an analyst’s playscript that documents each of the major players’ activities.

In addition to observing a decision maker’s behavior, the systems analyst should observe the decision maker’s surroundings for important clues as to how well the system fits the user. One method is Structured Observation of the Environment (STROBE). A systems analyst uses STROBE in the same way that a film critic uses a method called mise-en-scène analysis to analyze a shot in a film.

Several concrete elements in the decision maker’s environment can be observed and interpreted. These elements include (1) office location, (2) placement of the decision maker’s desk, (3) stationary office equipment, (4) props such as handheld devices and PCs, (5) external information sources such as trade journals and use of the Web, (6) office lighting and color, and (7) clothing worn by the decision maker. STROBE can be used to gain a better understanding of how decision makers actually gather, process, store, and share information in order to get their work done.

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