From the abstract:
The study adopted an inductive approach using focus groups to generate a preliminary set of design criteria of “ideal” agents. It then followed a deductive approach using semi-structured interviews to validate and enhance the criteria.
Minimum design criteria for executive level software agents includes thoroughly understanding the executives' requirements, and specifically, what information the execs expect to receive from the agents.
Structured interviews with principal and actual users provides data to establish scope, limits and objectives of the basic software design. Conducting focus groups
prior to establishing these basic criteria introduces potential bias in later respondents.
I prefer individual interviews with key players, followed by interviews with small groups of executive users, followed by group meetings. Focus groups and group questionnaires may proceed concurrently with interviews with the responses to initial interviews used to tune; that is,
focus discussion. Again, the object remains to avoid biasing requirements development to fit a presupposed 'ideal'.
The methodology outlined in the introduction appears ideal for software engineers to sell a preordained design to the executive committee rather than extract basic requirements from end users, depending on focus group structure and whether the execs develop agent architecture in-house or via contract.
