Due to increased organizational dependence on information systems technology, the effectiveness of the systems analyst is more crucial today than ever. Despite technological advances that have increased the number and quality of tools available to systems analysts, the individual analyst's problem-solving skills remain key to defining good systems requirements. Understanding how expert analysts approach the requirements analysis task may provide insights for improving the effectiveness of novice analysts. This paper examines differences in the problem-solving approaches of novice and expert systems analysts during an information requirements task. Specific weaknesses that set novice and expert analysts apart are identified, and techniques that may be used to strengthen novice skills are suggested. This research supports the current literature on creativity techniques as a strategy for strengthening system analysis skills.
This study explores the content of the systems analyst's knowledge base. The study utilizes a protocol analysis methodology in a quasi-experimental research setting to define the types of knowledge used by 18 experienced systems analysts in solving an accounts receivable problem. The study provides preliminary findings regarding the core knowledge utilized by systems analysts, and differences in the knowledge utilized by high- and low-rated analysts. This article also investigates the characteristics of the practicing systems analyst's knowledge base. To accomplish this, the article focuses on knowledge used by the analyst in the information requirements determination phase. Previous studies have attempted to identify systems analyst's skills and knowledge requirements through expert opinion, introspective accounts, and retrospective reconstructions. These studies focused on general skills but not on their relative importance in different phases of systems development or on the underlying knowledge required for the skills.