Evaluating and empirically improving the visual syntax of use case diagrams

Use case modeling is a forefront technique to specify functional requirements of a system. Many research works related to use case modeling have been devoted to improving various aspects of use case modeling and its utilization in software development processes. One key aspect of use case models that has thus far been overlooked by the research community is the visual perception of use case diagrams by its readers. Any model is used transfer a mental idea by a modeler to a model reader. Even if a use case diagram is constructed flawlessly, if it is misread or misinterpreted by its reader then the intrinsic purpose of modeling has failed. This paper provides a two-fold contribution. Firstly, this paper presents an evaluation of the cognitive effectiveness of use case diagrams notation. The evaluation is based on theory principles and empirical evidence mainly from the cognitive science field. Secondly, it provides empirically validated improvements to the use case diagram notation that enhances its cognitive effectiveness. Empirical validation of the improvements is drawn by conducting an industrial survey using business analyst professionals. Empirical validation is also drawn by conducting an experiment using software engineering professionals as subjects. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.