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CHAPTER 5

Information Gathering:

Unobtrusive Methods

Learning Objectives
Once you have mastered the material in this chapter you will be able to:
1. Recognize the value of unobtrusive methods of information gathering.

2. Understand the concept of sampling for human information requirements analysis.
3. Construct useful samples of people, documents, and events for determining human infor-
mation requirements.
4. Create an analyst’s playscript to observe decision makers’ activities.

5. Apply the STROBE technique to observe and interpret a decision maker’s environment and
interaction with technologies.

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Just by being present in an organization, a systems analyst changes
it. However, unobtrusive methods such as sampling, investigation, and
observing a decision maker’s behavior and interacting with his or her
physical environment are less disruptive than other ways of eliciting
human information requirements. Unobtrusive methods are considered
to be insufficient information-gathering methods when used alone.
Rather, they should be used in conjunction with one or many of the inter-
active methods studied in the previous chapter. This is called a multiple methods approach.
Using both interactive and unobtrusive methods in approaching an organization is a wise
practice that will result in a more complete picture of human information requirements.

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