Recent Studies on i* : A Survey

Abstract

i* is studied extensively in the requirements engineering and information systems engineering literature since the 90s. The language itself is gradually evolving and extended to i Star 2.0, and peoples interest of study is also evolving in the meantime. In this paper, we surveyed recent papers in a few major research databases, identifying key research issues people are aiming at while study i* language. We classi ed the work according to the content and nature of the studies, such as, modelling language, techniques, modelling applications, and teaching. This helps us understand the recent research interest centered around i* modelling language, and discuss about possible further directions for i* related research and practice.

Keywords

• i *
• i Star
• Empirical Study
• Taxonomy

Intorduction

i* has been widely studied as a social modelling language, centred around the concepts of goals, actors and social dependencies. It plays a signi cant role in modelling organizations, social roles, actors intentions and their interdependencies. People in requirements engineering and information systems engineering community are publishing research work related to di erent perspectives of i*. In order to understand the state of the research better, we retrieved recent papers from a few major research databases. The objective of this survey study is to identify the key research issues people are aiming at while study i* language. We classi ed the work according to the content and the nature of the study, to reach a clear understanding on the recent research interest centered around the i* modelling language, based on which we can identify possible further directions with more potential for i* research and applications.

{ RQ1: What is the basic classi cation of research studies in the area of i Star/i *; speci cally in Requirements Engineering (RE) eld? { RQ2: What are the challenges with respect to i Star/i * discussed by the researchers in the studies?

Research Methodology: Systematic Literature Review We have used Systematic Literature Review (SLR) as a research methodology for this study. We have used Barbara Kitchenham guidelines [ 13 ] for performing SLR. The detail of the study can be seen in Figure 1.

We have searched Web of Science, Elsevier and Springer for the extraction of the I-Star related papers. Furthermore, we have searched Engineering Village for possible retrieval of the studies across di erent databases. Finally, we have searched blogs, papers, references and ResearchGate for further addition of papers. This is done so that we may minimize the biasness in the selection of the studies and also to get maximum of the studies to start. Figure 1 shows the detail of SLR protocol. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 14 ] [ 2 ] [ 15 ] [ 16 ] [ 17 ] [ 18 ] [ 3 ] [ 19 ] [ 20 ] [ 21 ] [ 22 ] [ 4 ] [ 23 ] [ 24 ] [ 25 ] [ 26 ] [ 5 ] [ 27 ] [ 6 ] [ 28 ] [ 7 ] [ 29 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 30 ] [ 31 ] [ 10 ] [ 32 ] [ 33 ] [ 11 ] [ 12 ]

Classi cation Application in DW, and extended the language by modules ->scalability problem of i* Application in cloud computing, positive Application in web applications ->Scalability Application: Tropos Framework for Modeling at high Level.

Application: (i* and combination of Scrum) Application : Ambient Intelligence App Application: Social Threat Modeling - Security Application; KBS Application: CRS Application in OSN Application in OSN

Language (Modeling), i* ->UML class diagram

Language ->textual model ->Scalability Language ->iStar 2.0 Language ->comparison : i* with DEMO Language ->comparison : i* with KAOS Language Tool: iStar and Creativity Language: Transformation i* ->STREAM-A Language: Ambiguity Language: (i* ML 2.0) Language: Guide i* 2.o Language: i* JSON Language: Model repository Tool: Survey Tool : Growing Leaf Evolution tool

Technical: Changes impact analysis based on iStar Technical: Easier Repository of i* based Models Technical: Identify Consistency Issues in URN Models Technical : Reasoning of Qualities

Technical: Patterns in IS design

Teaching: Cohorts Teaching: Extension of iStar

3

Findings

Based on the survey analysis from Table 1, we can see major open problems yet to be solved with regard to i* modelling language are: the scalability problem, the clarity problem, and combined use problem. For clarity problem i Star 2.0 has made considerable progress in clarity in modelling syntax and semantics, where earlier vague and confusing de nitions and usage suggestions are polished and clari ed. Scalability problem remains open, but with actor boundary, we can already separate the analysis of inter-actor relationship analysis and the inner-actor rational analysis. i*, as an early requirement modelling language, is often used together with other modelling languages to map high-level intentions to operational system behaviours or constraints, including, i* with UML class diagrams, with URN models, with scrum process, with KAOS, with DEMO, with petri-net. i*, due to its social nature, is fairly feasible in capturing relations in online social networks, in services modelling, in security, and in knowledge modelling.

Table 2 explains that the studies included in the SLR on the topic of i* can be divided into fours main categories. First one is studies focusing on Applications of i* e.g., Application in a web application, Application in Online Social Networking and so on. The second type of studies has a focused on language/tools related to i*. e.g. creative leaf, language comparison, and language advancement. The third type of papers focuses on technical aspects of i* e.g. patterns in Information system design and the last categorization focused on the teaching/education aspect of the i*. The detail of papers and classi cation can be seen in the Table 2.

We have observed during our empirical study that by searching i * or \ i * " don't retrieve the results related to i Star, as in database \*" means any combination of previous word or string. So from our study we also suggest researchers must use i Star or i* wordings in keywords, abstract and title of the study; so that studies may be retrieved with ease.

Acknowledgement Financial support from the Natural Science and Technology Support Program project no. 2015BAH14F02, and Natural Science Foundation of China Project no. 61432020 are gratefully acknowledged.

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