RECaseStudies

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Model problems for Requirements Engineering

Mature disciplines typically have a set of 'model problems', problems which researchers around the world can use to evaluate their designs or new techniques. I've never seen a good central location for these problems for requirements engineering, so I thought I would go through most of the papers I've read and find the common case studies. Shout-out to CMU, who host a set of model problems for software architecture, three of which appear here as well.

What does it take to make this list? The first constraint is that the problem is described in a domain-centred way, and without reference to a particular solution or technology. The description should be external to the paper it appears in (so any omissions are clear). There should be more than one paper referencing this problem (otherwise it isn't a 'model'). Finally, preferably there is a final implementation (or post-mortem) for comparison purposes.

Updates and additions are welcome.

Title	Description	Source Files	Cited in	Working implementation
BART AART	A safety-critical train control system	citation	van Lamsweerde 2001	not clear
LAS	The London ambulance system	Description at U. Lancaster Anthony Finkelstein's gathering of documents	Lamsweerde04 Finkelstein and Dowling 94
Meeting Scheduler	Schedule meetings, possibly distributed	CMU description	Yu 1995
Library information system	A system for managing library tasks like checking out books.	CMU description	Pejtersen 92, Dardenne et al. 93
ATM	Automated teller machine	CMU description	(pdf) Wang et al, ASE 2007
Light Control case study	Construction of a light control system for a floor of a university building	Problem description	Series of approaches documented in J. Univ. Comp. Sci., 6(7), 2000

Non-referenced case studies

Here are some other possible case studies, as yet unreported (at least, I couldn't find a reference).

Title	Description	Source Files	Cited in	Working implementation
Ontario Portal	An e-government portal strategy	Ministry documentation	none
Gotham City Fire Dispatch	A modeling challenge at RE 09 based on the LAS case study.	Olly Gotel's summary materials

Other (possibly apocryphal) case studies

• Air traffic control
• Package routing
• Elevator
• Cruise control