The difference of cognitive process between expert and novice system analysts in specifying information requirements

• Main Authors: Shih Tsung Hung, 洪世宗
• Other Authors: J. P. Wu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/11430174807588930048

碩士 === 淡江大學 === 資訊管理學系 === 91 === The knowledge and modeling behavior of systems analysts will affects the quality of information requirement specifications. In the past, there rarely exists a cognitive model to explain the relationships among the knowledge of information analysts and their modeling behaviors. Based on structural mapping theory, Huang(2002) has proposed a cognitive process model for information requirement analysis. Huang contend that the cognitive process model could explain the relationships among the knowledge of information analysts and their modeling behaviors, by comparing the expert with novice information analysts on the principle of continuity, types of similarity, and the principle of systematicity, in process of information analysis. The purpose of this research is to empirically investigate the cognitive process differences of expert information analysts with that of novice information analysts in specifying information requirements, verifying if the differences are consistent with the model Huang has proposed. In the experimental process, both expert and novice information analysts are requested to construct data flow diagram using a descriptive real world case. Utilizing think-aloud approach, the information analysis processes of all expert and novice information analysts are recorded into audiotape and then analyzed against the three stages: parsing, modeling and asking questions of the cognitive process model. The research has concluded that there are three behaviors consistent with Huang’s cognitive model. First, expert information analysts tend to access base structures for modeling target structures on the basis of relational similarity, while novice information analysts select base structure on the basis of object-attribute similarity. Second, expert information analysts can make critical testing of hypotheses on the basis of the principle of continuity, while novice information analysts do not. Third, expert information analysts tend to apply the principle of systematicity in information analysis, while novice information analysts hardly apply it.