Chapter 3

Research Methodology
3.1 Introduction
Methodology refers to the analysis of the methods used appropriate to a field of
study. It is a systematic way of accomplishing certain tasks and is defined as a
collection of procedures, techniques, tools and documentation aids that helps a
software developer to speed up and simplify the software development process
(Pressman, 2001).
In this research, a combination of methodologies was used. This chapter describes
the methodology for this dissertation and the methodology that is used for system
development.

3.2 Research Methodology

The purpose of the research methodology is to provide a view of the methods that
was applied into this research. In addition, it defines the system development life
cycle (SDLC) for developing the system.

The Research methodology defined here is based on the methods used to collect
information on the real world problem pertaining to on-line retail chain stores and to
define system requirements. From the analysis study, understanding of the
literature reviewed and analysis of questionnaires, will lead the initial requirements
for the system. Evolutionary prototype is used as methodology for SDLC. Once the
initial requirements are ready, the next step is to design the system, followed by
coding and testing.

3.2.1 Research Questions and Methodology

In this research, the researcher seeks to solve the following research question
related to online document monitoring tracking system:1. Is the system able to determine which users should distribute documents based
on the minutes on the document delivery?
2. Can the system help management apply the concept of decentralization in
decision making?
4. Is the system flexible in managing a variable number of head offices and
departments?
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5. Is the system able to manage document inventory for each department and
define which documents has reached to the department to be minute?
6. Is the system able to find which company brought a document into the
organization?
7. Is the system able to generate reports based on specific date and time?

3.3 Research Technique

There are many techniques used to collect data. The techniques used to collect data
for this research are as follows:
Literature review.
Survey (questionnaire).
Brainstorming.

3.3.1 Literature Review

As was mentioned in chapter 2, the system was studied to determine if the old
system was helping the organization.

3.3.2 Research survey

Survey questionnaires are used to obtain quantitative descriptions of what
document and advancement to the old system doesnt have that they need. The
structures of the questionnaires are designed to capture data about companies that
have old document storage system, and users who use those systems. Two sets of
questionnaire were designed.

3.4 System Development Life Cycle

Like a traditional software development, the process of document management and
tracking system development can also be divided into different life cycle steps. This
can be done through methodology that will be adopted into the research.
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The system development life cycle (SDLC) is the entire process of formal, logical
steps taken to develop a software product. There are many life cycle models that
exist to develop the system, and the researcher is at liberty to choose a model that
fit this project, time and constraint. The phases of SDLC can vary somewhat but
generally include the following: Requirements specification, software design, coding,
testing, and delivery.

3.5 SDLC for developing the Web based document system

System for Document Monitoring and Tracking (DTMS) Due the circumstance
surrounding this research, in particular time constraint, the SDLC that was chosen
for system development is Evolutionary Prototyping.
The goals of prototyping vary from system to system, and different prototyping
strategies may be adopted, depending on the problem domain.

3.5.1 What is Evolutionary Prototyping (EP)?

Evolutionary prototyping uses multiple iterations of requirements gathering,
analysis, design, development, and testing of prototype. After completion of each
iteration, the result is analyzed by the researcher. Their response creates the next
level of requirements and defines the next iteration. And this goes on until the
operational system is ready (http://www.doc.mmu.ac.uk).
Advantages
Suits rapidly changing or poorly understood requirements, so it suits a project in
which the development areas are not well known to the developers
Provides the end-user with clear signs of progress
Gives the end-user a sense of control over the projects progress
Disadvantages
Very hard to set deadlines and make time estimates. In the real world developing
a prototype may extend the schedule but the prototyping time may be recovered
because rework is avoided.
Evolutionary prototyping focuses on gathering a correct and consistent set of
requirements. This lends forward the building of quality software by means of
ongoing clarification of real requirements be it clarification of existing requirements
and/or the discovery of previously missing or unknown requirements (Carter & et al,
2001).
Building (DTMS) is a challenging activity. When the thesis stared, the problem
domain and the system requirements are often not clearly understood. In order to
maximize the likelihood of on-time delivery and to minimize cost and time, it can be
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useful to construct an initial prototype system. A prototype can help in identifying

the system requirements and in minimizing uncertainty or missing requirements.
Building prototypes is a good way to SDLC. (Eric H. Nyberg, 2004)
3.5.2 Justification for Using the Evolutionary Prototyping in SDLS
(DTMS)

for

1. Clarifies the requirements needed in a system.

Evolutionary prototyping helps to alleviate changing opinions and vague
specification by embodying the requirements in a tangible form. So potential users
and supervisor can see their requirements in the prototyped systems, and therefore
can validate the requirements reflected in the prototype. By the iterative nature of
the prototypes evolution, a software developer has the opportunity to accept, or
change a requirement.
2. Find out unknown requirements.
When a researcher starts a project, he /she does not have a clear picture of what
should be developed. Based on the objectives, the researcher may find additional
functions that the prototype must provide. The key is that prototypes are an
excellent means of eliciting correct, consistent, and complete specifications of
requirements (Davis, 1992).
3. Requirements Analysis and Design by view
Requirements analysis and design for online systems have two main challenges for
a software. First, it is generally difficult to provide a detailed specification for the
interface and the visual components of a web site suck as graphics, layout, etc.
Second, there exist functional requirements which customers may take for granted,
therefore EP can help a developer to get rid of these challenges.
4. Flexible to change research assumptions.
Evolutionary prototyping is beneficial to the researcher to shift (update) his
assumptions and requirements. Some of these assumptions will be discussed with
the supervisor and some written in documentation. Evolutionary development
models allow these effects and changes.
5. Provides a method to communicate about Systems.
Evolutionary prototyping is facilitating communication between the researcher and
his supervisor. So when researcher has a new idea, the prototype helps him to
explain what has been done and if there are any suggestion from supervisor he can
easily incorporate the suggestion into the prototype. There is less argument about
what a prototype does, and reduce the misinterpretations from vagueness and
equivocalness in natural language specifications.
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6. Reduce development schedule and minimize cost

Prototyping minimize development costs and, development schedules, if there is
any change in project, the researcher can do that in early phase and this will require
less time and effort. If there is a wrong in SDLC, the researcher will change in
documentation, design and models. "Many stakeholders are also less intimidated by
the presentation of a prototype than by the paper avalanche of specifications,
designs, screen layouts, and diagrams found too often in methods such as the
Waterfall model" (Antn & Carter & Earp & Williams, 2001).

7. Build knowledge from experiment

Evolutionary prototyping helps to build knowledge base for researcher from what he
did and if any mistake happens wrong in any phase the researcher will acquire new
knowledge and try to avoid this in the next phase. Evolutionary models of
prototyping take advantage of knowledge acquired as development progresses"
(Antn & Carter & Earp & Williams, 2001).

3.5.3 Evolutionary Prototyping (EP) for DTMS

EP for ODSS-RCS has six development phases which are in Requirements
analysis/Gathering/Integration, System Design, Implementation (Build Prototype),
System Debugging / Testing, User Evaluation, and Deliver to user. As shown in figure
3.1, in the real word, each phase overlaps and repeats the phases until the system
is built. Each phase of EP for DTMS is explained in detail below.

Figure 3.1: The evolutionary prototyping for a web based document monitoring and
tracking system for Ministry of petroleum (DMTS)
3.5.3.a Requirements analysis / Gathering and Integration
Requirements definition is the most crucial part of this project. A requirement is a
description of what a system should do, (Lutz & Woodhouse,1997). Figure 3.2 shows
the process of gathering the initial set of requirements from the study of literature
review, discussion with potential users, and reviewing other similar software
systems, so as to contribute to the understanding on what the system must do.

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The initial requirements are documented in the initial requirements document

template. Newrequirements are agreed during the analysis and negotiation
processes with potential users, whereby, the agreed requirements are then added
to the exiting requirements. As in most software processes, the design of a new
prototype release occurs as the designers decide how the new sets of requirements
will be incorporated into the revised prototypes. Initial requirement set is
documented using the initial requirements document and this continues until the
final requirements document is completed.

Figure 3.2: Data flow diagram of the Old System

3.5.3.b System Design:

Initial system design begins by using the partial Design Document from the initial
requirement document. This is repeated until the software process design of the
new prototype release occurs as the designers decide on how the new sets of
requirements will be incorporated into the revised prototypes. The architectural
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design, subsystem and module specification, and interface design are revised and
minimally documented as necessary to ensure a design and prototype structure.
The system design is considered as the connecting link or bridge between the
existing set of requirements and the prototype implementation.

as shown in Figure 3.3 Conceptual Data flow diagram of newly proposed

DMTS

3.5.3. Implementation (Build Prototype)

Once new requirements are agreed, and the initial design or a change in the design
of a new requirement is done, then the researcher will begin developing a prototype
or the revised prototypes. The prototype is iteratively modified to respond to initial
design for new requirements. Figure 3.4 shows the implementation. At the end of
each prototyping cycle, the researcher starts to develop tested prototype.
Figure 3.4: Implementing prototype model's through EP
In the user implementing prototype model of the DTM System, this will show how to
system will look after completion:
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Login in screen
Redirected pages, eg; Minister, Deputy Minister, Petroleum directorate,
accounts, i.c.t., records, communication unit, p.p.m.e etc respectively.
View incoming documents.
Outgoing document page where they can add or edit minutes using the
reference number of a document.
Generate reports
Print reports
Search for document
Monitor document flow
Should be able to logout from their page interface by clicking on a link.

3.5.3.d System Debugging / Testing

When the prototyping phase and the tested prototype phase is done the researcher
and the potential users may judge whether or not the prototype meets their
expectations. If the result from partial test isn't satisfactory, then a change in the
requirements, design and revised prototypes are carried out. But if everything is
satisfactory, then we enter a new iteration for new requirement and this is shown in

Figure 3.5. Programming and debugging is still performed until the requirements are
met and the design is fulfilled at the conclusion of system implementation.

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Figure 3.5: Proposed Entity relational Diagram (ERD) of DMS for

Ministry of Petroleum

3.5.3.e User Evaluation

Figure 3.6 shows the user evaluation model for the system. When implementation
prototyping for the system is done, the final prototype goes through extensive
testing. At the end of the testing if the researcher and the potential users feel that
the system is not satisfactory, then new requirements and modifications are carried
out, but if it is satisfactory this means that the system is complete. After that, the
system is tested by two categories of users, i.e. first the departments in the
company and second the Users. If the feedback from the users are good and there
are no Not satisfied Requirement
System testing new requirements to add, the system is complete, and is ready to be
delivered. Or else, a new iteration of the prototype will be implemented in order to
incorporate the new requirements.

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In the user evaluation model of the DTM System, users should be able to see the
following after login:

Login in screen
Redirected to appropriate page, eg; Minister, Deputy Minister, Petroleum
directorate stc respectively.
Users should be able to view incoming documents.
Outgoing page where they can add or edit minutes using the reference
number of a document.
Should be able to logout from their page interface by clicking on a link.

3.5.3.f Deliver the system

Figure 3.7 shows the process when the system is ready to be delivered. The
delivered system should encompass the needed functionality and the approved
system qualities as dictated by the users.

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Figure 3.7: Complete DRD for the new developed system for Ministry of
Petroleum.
In the complete DRD model for the DTM System, admin, ministers and users should
be able to see the following after login:

Login in screen
Redirected to appropriate page, eg; Minister, Deputy Minister, Petroleum
directorate etc respectively.
Users should be able to view incoming documents.
Outgoing page where they can add or edit minutes using the reference
number of a document.
Should be able to logout from their page interface by clicking on a link.
Admin should be able to generate reports by clicking on a link and also
search for a document or minute using the reference number.

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Minister should be able to add minutes to document that can be sent to each
user and department within the organization.

PROGRAMMING ENVIRONMENT
3.1 HARDWARE SPECIFICATION
The hardware is the place where all the information and data are stored permanently. So
hardware must be reliable and cost effective. The hardware must suit all the application
development. It is fast enough to complete and do all the jobs and executions.

1.
2.
3.
4.

PC with Intel core2duo processor

Memory - 2GB RAM Minimum, 2GB or higher recommend.
DVD ROM drive.
OS-MS Windows XP or above

3.2 SOFTWARE SPECIFICATION

The software specification means the operating system and all other applications or tools
used for the development of the proposed system. It includes the Operating System, and the
software which we are going to use.
Platform
Front end

PHP
PHP, CSS,

XHTML
Back End

MySQL

Server, XAMP, WAMP

Operating System

Windows XP

or higher specification.

3.3 DATA BASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

The overall objective in the development of database technology has been to treat
data as an organizational resource and as an integrated whole. Database Management System
allows data to be protected and organized separately from other resources. Database is an
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integrated collection of data. The most significant of data as seen by the programs and data as
stored on the direct storage devices. This is the difference between logical and physical data.
The organization of data in the database aims to achieve three major objectives:
Data integration
Data integrity
Data independence
The databases are implemented using a DBMS package. Each particular DBMS has
unique characteristics and general techniques for database design. The proposed System stores
the information relevant for processing in the SQL server database. This SQL Server database
contains tables, where each table is called a field or column. A table also contains records, which
is a set of fields. All records, in a table the same set of fields with different information. Each
table contains key fields that establish relationships in an SQL database and how the records are
stored. There are primary key fields that uniquely identify a record in a table. There are also
fields that contain the primary key from another table called foreign keys.

RELATIONAL DATABASE RULES

Certain rules followed in creating and relating the databases in the relational databases.
This governs how to relate data and prevent redundancy of the data in the database. The first set
of rules called relational rules ensures that the database is a relational database. The second set
called the normalization rules simplifies the database and reduce the redundancy of the data. In
the proposed system this relational database rules are applied to reduce the redundancy make
future changes to the table structure easier to and minimize the impact of these changes on users
interface to the database.
This is done first determining what information is needed, how items are related, what
constraints are established tables are created and linked by appropriate key fields. The
constraints on the data are used to guide the building of tables. Making use of the
normalization principles creates the tables. The proposed system has its own tables
in the third normal form.

MySQL Server
Relational database systems are the most important database systems used in the software
industry today. One of the most outstanding systems in Microsoft MySOL Server. MySQL
Server is a database management system developed and marketed by Microsoft. It runs

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exclusively under Windows NT, Windows 95/98, and Windows 2000 Server. The most important
aspects of MySQL Server are:

MySQL Server is easy to use.

MySQL Server scales from a mobile laptop to symmetric multiprocessor system.
MySQL Server provides data warehousing features that until now have only

been

available in Oracle and other more expensive DBMS.

A database system is an overall collection of different database software components
and database containing the part viz. Database application programs, front-end components,
Database Management Systems and Database. A database system must provide following
features:

A variety of user interfaces.

Physical data independence.
Logical data independence.
Query optimization. Data integrity. Concurrency control.
Backup and recovery.
Security and authorization.
Enterprise manager is the main administrative console for MySQL Server
installations. It provides you with a graphical Birdseye view of all of the MySQL Server
installations on your network. You can perform high-level administrative functions that affect
one or more servers. Schedule common maintenance tasks or create and modify the structure of
individual databases.
Query Analyzer offers a quick and dirty method for performing queries against any of
your MySQL Server databases. Its a great way to quickly pull information out of a database in
response to a user request, test queries before implementing them in other applications,
create/modify stored procedures and execute administrative tasks.
MySQL Profiler provides a window into the inner working of your database. You can
monitor many different event types and observe database performance in real time. MySQL

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Profiler allows you to capture and replay system traces that log various activities. Its a great
tool for optimizing databases with performance issues or troubleshooting particular problems.
Service Manager is used to control the MS MySQL Server, MSDTC (Microsoft
Distributed Transaction Coordinator) and MySQL Server Agent processes. An icon for this
service normally resides in the system tray of machines running MySQL Server. You can use
Service Manager to start, stop or pause any one of these service.
Data Transformation Services (DTS) provide an extremely flexible method for
importing and exporting data between a Microsoft MySQL Server installation and a large variety
of other formats. The most commonly used DTS application is the Import and Export Data
wizard found in the MySQL Server program group.

3.3 FEATURES OF OPERATING SYSTEM

This project work is done on the windows XP professional, which is The OS. An OS is
set of software tools designed to make it easy for people or programmers to make optimum use
of computer. People who use computers have different levels of needs and interest.
The main features of windows 2000 professional operating system are:
1. Easier to use.

2.
3.
4.

Easier to manage.
More compatible.
More powerful.

EASIER TO USE
With windows xp professional, you have faster access to information, And you are able to
accomplish tasks more quickly and easily.
Windows xp professional makes it easier to:

Work with files.

Find information personalize your computing environment.
Work on the web.
Work remotely
EASIER TO MANAGE
Windows XP, your workstation will be easier to:

Set up.
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 Administrator.
Support
MORE COMPATIBLE
Windows XP, also provides:

Improved driver support.

Increased support for new_generation hardware multimedia technologies.
MORE POWERFUL
For all your computing needs, windows xp professional provides:

Industrial _strength reliability.

The highest level of security.
Powerful performance.
3.6 Summary
This chapter has looked into the research methodology which was used in this
dissertation. The techniques used to collect the related information from potential
users were surveyed. The literature review is used to study the current system and
the related research previously done. The evolutionary prototype method was used
in the system development life cycle of DMTS.

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