APIs as Digital Innovation Objects - Implications on Requirements Elicitation

Abstract: APIs as a way to expose business assets have become common across industry. Consequently insights into strategic API development practices are becoming more and more relevant. However domain specific knowledge for making strategic design decisions for APIs is often lacking. In this study we present and analyse a method for requirement elicitation for APIs created through use of the design science methodology alongside careful consideration of standard requirements elicitation practices and API strategies - specifically insights from the ’API as Digital Innovation Objects’ model on API strategy. We consider this due to a lack of awareness about what information is significant for such strategic design decisions, especially during requirements elicitation. Our findings show that there are several aspects of strategic API design that can be considered in order to improve requirements elicitation. The results imply that strategic API considerations change requirements elicitation by changing how it is carried out - not necessarily the tasks and activities conducted.