Consistency preserving co-evolution of formal specifications and agent-oriented conceptual models

Many modelling techniques tend to address "late-phase" requirements while many critical modelling decisions (such as determining the main goals of the system, how the stakeholders depend on each other, and what alternatives exist) are taken during early-phase requirements engineering. The i(center dot) modelling framework is a semiformal agent-oriented conceptual modelling language that is well-suited for answering these questions. This paper addresses key challenge faced in the practical deployment of agent-oriented conceptual modelling frameworks such as i(center dot). Our approach to addressing this problem is based on the observation that the value of conceptual modelling in the i(center dot) framework lies in its use as a notation complementary to existing requirements modelling and specification languages, i.e., the expressive power of i(center dot) complements rather than supplants that of existing notations. The use of i(center dot) in this fashion requires that we define methodologies that support the co-evolution of i(center dot) models with more traditional specifications. This research examines how this might be done with formal specification notations (specifically Z). (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.