Source

A source is the origin of information, evidence, or material that supports a statement, requirement, or decision.

It may consist of a person, document, dataset, existing system, regulation, observation, or technical artifact. Therefore, it helps teams verify information and understand its context.

A requirements source provides knowledge about stakeholder needs, system behaviour, constraints, or business rules. For example, users describe their goals, while regulations define mandatory conditions.

Teams should identify important origins early. However, interviews, workshops, and document reviews may reveal additional inputs later. Consequently, the register should remain current throughout the project.

Analysts should record relevant details such as name, owner, version, location, and reliability. Moreover, traceability should connect each requirement with its origin.

Outdated, incomplete, or misunderstood evidence can lead to incorrect requirements. Therefore, teams should confirm important information with stakeholders or supporting artifacts.

Systematic identification and maintenance improve verification, traceability, completeness, and confidence in requirements.