What does the term “requirements elicitation” refer to?

The term “requirements elicitation” refers specifically to the process of collecting and defining requirements from stakeholders. This process is crucial in business analysis as it involves engaging with various stakeholders—including clients, users, and team members—to gather their needs, expectations, and insights. The goal is to produce a clear and comprehensive understanding of what the project or product must achieve.

Elicitation methods can include interviews, surveys, workshops, focus groups, and other techniques that encourage open dialogue and communication. Successful elicitation ensures that the requirements accurately reflect the stakeholders' needs, leading to greater project success and satisfaction.

The other options touch on important aspects of the requirements life cycle but do not encapsulate the essence of elicitation. Evaluating existing requirements is a separate activity focused on assessing the quality and relevance of requirements that have already been identified. The approval process pertains to getting stakeholder endorsement for the proposed requirements, ensuring all parties are aligned before moving forward. Documentation serves to record requirements systematically, but it occurs after the elicitation phase, which is about collecting those requirements in the first place.