Do we really know what we are building? Raising awareness of potential Sustainability Effects of Software Systems in Requirements Engineering

Leticia Duboc; Stefanie Betz; Birgit Penzenstadler; Sedef Akinli Kocak; Ruzanna Chitchyan; Ola Leifler; Jari Porras; Norbert Seyff; Colin Venters

doi:10.1109/RE.2019.00013

Do we really know what we are building? Raising awareness of potential Sustainability Effects of Software Systems in Requirements Engineering

Leticia Duboc
, Stefanie Betz
, Birgit Penzenstadler
, Sedef Akinli Kocak
, Ruzanna Chitchyan
, Ola Leifler
, Jari Porras
, Norbert Seyff
, Colin Venters

Cabot Institute for the Environment

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Contribution (Conference Proceeding)

70 Citations (Scopus)

486 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Integrating novel software systems in our society, economy, and environment can have far-reaching effects. As a result, software systems should be designed in such a way as to maintain or improve the sustainability of the sociotechnical system of their destination. However, a paradigm shift is required to raise awareness of software professionals on the potential sustainability effects of software systems. While Requirements Engineering is considered the key to driving this change, requirements engineers lack the knowledge, experience and methodological support for doing so. This paper presents a question-based framework for raising awareness of the potential effects of software systems on sustainability. A feasibility study of the framework use is carried out in two application cases with computer science students. The results indicate that the framework is helpful in enabling discussions between requirements engineers and other stakeholders, as well as for drawing insights on the potential chains-of-effects that software systems could have on sustainability.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	27th IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference
Publisher	IEEE Computer Society
Pages	6-16
Number of pages	11
ISBN (Electronic)	978-1-7281-3912-8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/RE.2019.00013
Publication status	Published - 5 Dec 2019
Event	IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference - Ramada Plaza Jeju Hotel, Jeju Island, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Duration: 23 Sept 2019 → 28 Sept 2019 Conference number: 27 http://re19.ajou.ac.kr/

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of the ... IEEE International Symposium on Requirements Engineering.
Publisher	IEEE
ISSN (Electronic)	2332-6441

Conference

Conference	IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference
Abbreviated title	RE 2019
Country/Territory	Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
City	Jeju Island
Period	23/09/19 → 28/09/19
Internet address	http://re19.ajou.ac.kr/

Research Groups and Themes

Bristol Interaction Group

Keywords

Sustainability
requirements engineering
impact assessment

Access to Document

10.1109/RE.2019.00013

Full-text PDF (accepted author manuscript)
This is the author accepted manuscript (AAM). The final published version (version of record) is available online via IEEE at https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8920518. Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.
Accepted author manuscript, 260 KB

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Persistent link

70 Citations
3 Article (Academic Journal)
1 Conference Contribution (Conference Proceeding)

Requirements Engineering for Sustainability: An Awareness Framework for Designing Software Systems for a Better Tomorrow
Chitchyan, R., Venters, C. & al., E., 14 Aug 2020, In: Requirements Engineering. 25, p. pages 469–492 24 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

Open Access
File
81 Citations (Scopus)

285 Downloads (Pure)
Towards Model-Driven Sustainability Evaluation
Kienzle, J., Mussbacher, G., Combemale, B., Bastin, L., Bencomo, N., Bruel, J.-M., Becker, C., Betz, S., Chitchyan, R., Cheng, B., Klingert, S., Paige, R., Penzenstadler, B., Seyff, N., Syriani, E. & Venters, C., 1 Mar 2020, In: Communications of the ACM. 63, 3, p. 80-91 10 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

Open Access
File
21 Citations (Scopus)

151 Downloads (Pure)
Software Engineering for Sustainability: Find the Leverage Points!
Penzenstadler, B., Duboc, L., Venters, C., Betz, S., Seyff, N., Wnuk, C., Chitchyan, R., Easterbrook, S. & Becker, C., 11 Jan 2018, (E-pub ahead of print) In: IEEE Software.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

Open Access
File
49 Citations (Scopus)

540 Downloads (Pure)

1 Finished

Refactoring Energy Systems (Ruzanna Chitchyan)
Chitchyan, R. (Principal Investigator)
1/10/17 → 30/09/22
Project: Research

Cite this

Duboc, L., Betz, S., Penzenstadler, B., Akinli Kocak, S., Chitchyan, R., Leifler, O., Porras, J., Seyff, N., & Venters, C. (2019). Do we really know what we are building? Raising awareness of potential Sustainability Effects of Software Systems in Requirements Engineering. In 27th IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference (pp. 6-16). (Proceedings of the ... IEEE International Symposium on Requirements Engineering.). IEEE Computer Society. https://doi.org/10.1109/RE.2019.00013

Duboc, Leticia ; Betz, Stefanie ; Penzenstadler, Birgit et al. / Do we really know what we are building? Raising awareness of potential Sustainability Effects of Software Systems in Requirements Engineering. 27th IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference. IEEE Computer Society, 2019. pp. 6-16 (Proceedings of the ... IEEE International Symposium on Requirements Engineering.).

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abstract = "Integrating novel software systems in our society, economy, and environment can have far-reaching effects. As a result, software systems should be designed in such a way as to maintain or improve the sustainability of the sociotechnical system of their destination. However, a paradigm shift is required to raise awareness of software professionals on the potential sustainability effects of software systems. While Requirements Engineering is considered the key to driving this change, requirements engineers lack the knowledge, experience and methodological support for doing so. This paper presents a question-based framework for raising awareness of the potential effects of software systems on sustainability. A feasibility study of the framework use is carried out in two application cases with computer science students. The results indicate that the framework is helpful in enabling discussions between requirements engineers and other stakeholders, as well as for drawing insights on the potential chains-of-effects that software systems could have on sustainability.",

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Duboc, L, Betz, S, Penzenstadler, B, Akinli Kocak, S, Chitchyan, R, Leifler, O, Porras, J, Seyff, N & Venters, C 2019, Do we really know what we are building? Raising awareness of potential Sustainability Effects of Software Systems in Requirements Engineering. in 27th IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference. Proceedings of the ... IEEE International Symposium on Requirements Engineering., IEEE Computer Society, pp. 6-16, IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference, Jeju Island, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of, 23/09/19. https://doi.org/10.1109/RE.2019.00013

Do we really know what we are building? Raising awareness of potential Sustainability Effects of Software Systems in Requirements Engineering. / Duboc, Leticia; Betz, Stefanie; Penzenstadler, Birgit et al.
27th IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference. IEEE Computer Society, 2019. p. 6-16 (Proceedings of the ... IEEE International Symposium on Requirements Engineering.).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Contribution (Conference Proceeding)

TY - GEN

T1 - Do we really know what we are building? Raising awareness of potential Sustainability Effects of Software Systems in Requirements Engineering

AU - Duboc, Leticia

AU - Betz, Stefanie

AU - Penzenstadler, Birgit

AU - Akinli Kocak, Sedef

AU - Chitchyan, Ruzanna

AU - Leifler, Ola

AU - Porras, Jari

AU - Seyff, Norbert

AU - Venters, Colin

N1 - Conference code: 27

PY - 2019/12/5

Y1 - 2019/12/5

N2 - Integrating novel software systems in our society, economy, and environment can have far-reaching effects. As a result, software systems should be designed in such a way as to maintain or improve the sustainability of the sociotechnical system of their destination. However, a paradigm shift is required to raise awareness of software professionals on the potential sustainability effects of software systems. While Requirements Engineering is considered the key to driving this change, requirements engineers lack the knowledge, experience and methodological support for doing so. This paper presents a question-based framework for raising awareness of the potential effects of software systems on sustainability. A feasibility study of the framework use is carried out in two application cases with computer science students. The results indicate that the framework is helpful in enabling discussions between requirements engineers and other stakeholders, as well as for drawing insights on the potential chains-of-effects that software systems could have on sustainability.

AB - Integrating novel software systems in our society, economy, and environment can have far-reaching effects. As a result, software systems should be designed in such a way as to maintain or improve the sustainability of the sociotechnical system of their destination. However, a paradigm shift is required to raise awareness of software professionals on the potential sustainability effects of software systems. While Requirements Engineering is considered the key to driving this change, requirements engineers lack the knowledge, experience and methodological support for doing so. This paper presents a question-based framework for raising awareness of the potential effects of software systems on sustainability. A feasibility study of the framework use is carried out in two application cases with computer science students. The results indicate that the framework is helpful in enabling discussions between requirements engineers and other stakeholders, as well as for drawing insights on the potential chains-of-effects that software systems could have on sustainability.

KW - Sustainability

KW - requirements engineering

KW - impact assessment

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M3 - Conference Contribution (Conference Proceeding)

T3 - Proceedings of the ... IEEE International Symposium on Requirements Engineering.

SP - 6

EP - 16

BT - 27th IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference

PB - IEEE Computer Society

T2 - IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference

Y2 - 23 September 2019 through 28 September 2019

ER -

Duboc L, Betz S, Penzenstadler B, Akinli Kocak S, Chitchyan R, Leifler O et al. Do we really know what we are building? Raising awareness of potential Sustainability Effects of Software Systems in Requirements Engineering. In 27th IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference. IEEE Computer Society. 2019. p. 6-16. (Proceedings of the ... IEEE International Symposium on Requirements Engineering.). doi: 10.1109/RE.2019.00013

Do we really know what we are building? Raising awareness of potential Sustainability Effects of Software Systems in Requirements Engineering

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Research Groups and Themes

Keywords

Access to Document

Handle.net

Fingerprint

Research output

Requirements Engineering for Sustainability: An Awareness Framework for Designing Software Systems for a Better Tomorrow

Towards Model-Driven Sustainability Evaluation

Software Engineering for Sustainability: Find the Leverage Points!

Projects

Refactoring Energy Systems (Ruzanna Chitchyan)

Cite this