A framework for requirements elicitation through mixed-initiative dialogue

We present our work on requirements elicitation. The elicitation process is a complex task which necessitates computer support. Elicitation systems should ideally help their users check the correctness of the specifications obtained but also actively guide them in the acquisition of the requirements. We consider systems that communicate in natural language. We describe a framework that tries to improve the quality of the guidance it provides to its users by taking into account natural language constraints. We discuss the need for a theory of natural language dialogue structure, and we show how we have integrated such a theory within an early prototype of an elicitation system.