Guidelines for the adoption of behavior-driven development (BDD): an approach with design science research

Abstract

Context: In Requirements Engineering, it is necessary to look for ways to adopt methods and tools that contribute to the quality of functionalities delivered. Problem: Lack of clarity regarding the aspects necessary for adopting BDD. Solution: Present guidelines for implementing BDD to guide developers in adopting this framework. Method: Identify and present via a mind map such guidelines through a Design Science Research approach. Results: State-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice regarding BDD were identified, a case study was carried out to focus on eliciting non-functional requirements, and an experiment using BDD with LLMs. Conclusions: It was possible to validate the guidelines identified through the Design Science approach through a new case study, ensuring the effectiveness of the guidelines presented. Main contributions: To the scientific community, this work advances the study regarding BDD, presenting guidelines for teams that do not use it in their work activities; to the industry, this work presents a roadmap for the adoption of BDD, assisting professionals who have not yet had contact with the framework.