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Navigating Ambiguity and Specificity in Requirement Specifications

One of the toughest challenges in specifying requirements lies in achieving the right level of detail: enough to ensure understanding while avoiding overly constraining the system. The frequent question is, "How specific must my requirements be to prevent misunderstandings?" Using the example of "Mary Had a Little Lamb," we can unpack ambiguity through word analysis. The term "had" encompasses various meanings, while "lamb" holds multiple interpretations, highlighting the importance of clarity in requirements.

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Navigating Ambiguity and Specificity in Requirement Specifications

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Presentation Transcript

  1. On Ambiguity and Specificity

  2. Finding the “Sweet Spot” • One of the most difficult challenges in specifying requirements is to make them detailed enough that the can be understood without over constraining the system. • The question most often asked is “to what level of specificity must I state the requirements in order to avoid any chance of being misunderstood?”

  3. Ambiguity Example – “Mary Had a Little Lamb” • What does this sentence mean? • Using the keyword or dictionary technique, we focus on the words had and lamb. • “Had” is the past tense of “have”, so we’ll use the definition of “have”.

  4. Ambiguity Example – “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (Cont’d) • have 1a: to hold in possession as . . . 4a: to acquire or get possession of: to obtain (as in “the best to be had”) . . . 4c: ACCEPT; to have in marriage . . . 5a: to be marked or characterized by (to have red hair) . . . 10a: to hold a position of disadvantage or certain defeat . . . 10b: TRICK, FOOL (been had by a partner or friend) . . . 12: BEGET, BEAR (have a baby) . . . 13: to partake of (have dinner) . . . 14: BRIBE, SUBORN (can be had for a price)

  5. Ambiguity Example – “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (Cont’d) • Lamb 1a: a young sheep esp. less than one year old or without permanent teeth . . . 1b: the young of various other animals (e.g., smaller antelopes) . . . 2a: a person as gentle or weak as a lamb . . . 2b: DEAR, PET . . . 2c: a person easily cheated or deceived, esp. in trading securities . . . 3a: the flesh of lamb used as food.

  6. Lambic Interpretations

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