User-Developer Cooperation in Software Development by Eamonn O'neill

User-Developer Cooperation in Software Development by Eamonn O'neill

The topic of the research reported here is direct user participation in the task-based development of interactive software systems. Building usable software demands understanding and supporting users and their tasks. Users are a primary source of usability requirements and knowledge, since users can be expected to have intimate and extensive knowledge of themselves, their tasks and their working environment. Task analysis approaches to software development encourage a focus on supporting users and their tasks while participatory design approaches encourage users' direct, active contributions to software development work. However, participatory design approaches often concentrate their efforts on design activities rather than on wider system development activities, while task analysis approaches generally lack active user participation beyond initial data gathering. This research attempts an integration of the strengths of task analysis and user participation within an overall software development process. This work also presents detailed empirical and theoretical analyses of what it is for users and developers to cooperate, of the nature of user-developer interaction in participatory settings. Furthermore, it makes operational and assesses the effectiveness of user participation in development and the impact of user-developer cooperation on the resulting software product. The research addressed these issues through the development and application of an approach to task based participatory development in two real world development projects. In this integrated approach, the respective strengths of task analysis and participatory design methods complemented each other's weaker aspects.

Dr Eamonn O'Neill is Programme Director for the MSc in Investigative Journalism at University of Strathclyde, UK. He is a one of the UK's most respected journalists specialising in investigations in print, broadcast and online platforms. His work has been recognised in major industry awards both nationally and internationally including: British Press Awards; Paul Foot Award for Investigative Journalism; BAFTA Awards (British Film and Television Academy); and most recently in the pre-eminent US-based IRE (Investigative Reporters & Editors) Awards - Special Category Tom Renner Award.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781447110729
ISBN 10	1447110722
Title	User-Developer Cooperation in Software Development
Author	Eamonn O'neill
Series	Distinguished Dissertations
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Springer London Ltd
Year published	2012-10-02
Number of pages	317
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.