BROWSING THE TAXONOMY

When the tool is executed the taxonomy appears in a "Taxonomy Browser" window at the left hand side of the screen (this may take a few minutes). The "Taxonomy Browser" window may be expanded and reduced.

Sometimes the taxonomy is closed in opening the tool, and then it is necessary to see the taxonomy in the following way:

 

Let us understand the icons in the "Taxonomy Browser" for nodes that correspond to categories and domains: 

- The category "Software Applications" has a quality model defined. 

-  The user that is using the DesCOTS-QM tool is expert in the category "Software Applications" and in the domain of "Mail Server Tools".    

 

Let us understand the icons in the "Taxonomy Browser" for nodes that correspond to quality models and quality model versions:

-  The domain of Mail Server Tools has two versions of its quality model defined. The first one is validated (so it is possible to evaluate products taking into account this version). The second one is an evaluation under construction. 

 -  The same happens with the category "Software Applications". It has one validated version ot its quality model and one under construction.

 

There are two different modes for browsing the taxonomy: the expert mode and the basic mode. 

 

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1. EXPERT MODE

 

 

 

In the expert mode, we assume that the user has enough known about the taxonomy to know how to arrive to an specific category and domain. Thus, clinking in the categories and domains the taxonomy may be expanded and clossed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  2. BASIC MODE

The basic mode that is for users that do not know the organization of the taxonomy, and consists on using a "Taxonomy Naviagator" that asks questions and proposes answers that facilitate the navigation through the categories.

When we press the right button of the mouse on the Collaboration Software category, we find just one option that is to start the "Taxonomy Navigator". 

In the following screen captures you may see how you can select the "Taxonomy Navigator", and use it for browsing the taxonomy from the "Collaboration Software" category" until the "Mail Server Tools" domain.

The taxonomy navigator offers us two questions:

·       "Is the software useful in any team work?"

·       "Is the software specific for the collaboration of people of an specific department?"

We choose the second one, since we know that a mail server is not specific for the work of a department, but it is general for the work of all the organization. And the answer is No. As you can see, the navigator offers information about the question and the answers. Descriptions and in the case of each answer examples that document better the meaning of the answer. To navigate we press the "Navigate to Scope" button.

Thus, we move forward to the "General Purpose Collaboration Software" category.

In this case the navigator, just offers us a question that is:

"What type of collaboration is necessary among people?"

Of the two possible answers we choose that the type of collaboration is "communication" of people that needs to interact for doing their work.

And we navigate to the "Internal Communication Software" category. The question of the navigator is what type of communication do we need. The only answer offered is "By mail". We take this answer since it is convenient for us.

And, finally, we arrive to the desired domain that is the one of "Mail Server Tools".