Use cases

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Purpose

Use cases describe interactions with an application from the end-users' point of view in a variety of what if scenarios. Use cases:

• Identify functional, metadata, and quality requirements.

• Test the application's current functionality.

• Identify issues that need to be addressed in future releases.

• Support development of user-end documentation.

Organization

Use cases are clustered around the same broad categories as the functional requirements. Like the latter, use cases are organized hierarchy with high-level scenarios broken down into more specific tests (sub- and sub-sub-cases). To facilitate cross-references and links, each case has been assigned an alpha-numeric code: the alpha prefix designates its type (UC = use case), the number establishes its position in the hierarchy. Six main use cases have been identified:

• UC-1 Implement a system of control

• UC-2 Add / edit content

• UC-3 Translate content

• UC-4 Access content

• UC-5 Import / export content

• UC-6 Administer the system

Use case actors

The following generic actors are invoked in the use cases:

• Institution: a body having custody and control of archival materials.

• Archivist: a staff member of an Institution.

• Network: a group of Institutions sharing descriptions and other information relating to archival materials.

• Administrator: a person responsible for the application of an Institution or Network.

• Researcher: a person who accesses the archival materials held by Institutions.

Information

Each use case includes some or all of the following information:

• Use case number: UC-x.x.x, unique tracking number assigned to the use case.

• Use case name: descriptive name assigned to requirement.

• Context (parent requirements): links to higher-level cases, if applicable.

• Sub-requirements: links to lower-level cases, if applicable.

• Overview: brief description of the scenario.

• Actors: the main actor(s) involved in the scenario.

• Associated metadata requirements: what data must the application capture in order to be able to do X?

• Associated quality requirements: what design and interface features must the application have to do X well?

• Associated technical requirements: what system architecture, hardware / software configurations, and programming rules must the application implement to do X?

• ICA-AtoM implementation: brief description of how ICA-AtoM implements X.

• Known issues: brief indication of known problems or limitations in the current version of ICA-AtoM that should be addressed in future releases.

• Use cases: links to descriptions of user-end scenarios relating to the requirement and how they are handled in ICA-AtoM.

• User Manual sections: links to the User manual sections that provide step-by-step instructions for doing X.

Note that most of this detail will only be found at the lower-level requirements. Higher-level requirements will typically only include the requirement name, number, specification, and source quotation, with links to the lower-level sub-requirements.

Each use case includes some or all of the following information:

USC-x.x.x (unique tracking number assigned to case).
Summary	Use case name	Descriptive name assigned to use case
	Overview	Brief description of the scenario.
	Actor	The main actor(s) involved in the scenario.
Description	Preconditions	Other use cases whose completion is a precondition for the current case.
	Trigger	The event that initiates the current case.
	Successful outcome	The outcomes of a successful resolution of the scenario.
	Main scenario	Step-by-step breakdown description of the scenario ("Scenario A").
	Exceptions / variations	Other possible variations, including unsuccessful outcomes ("Scenario B", "Scenario C" etc).
Requirements	Functional requirements	Links to associated functional requirements (FNC-x).
	Metadata requirements	Links to associated metadata requirements (MTD-x).
	Technical requirements	Links to associated technical requirements (TCN-x).
Diagrams	Work-flow or other diagrams illustrating the scenario.

Note that most of this detail will only be found at the lower-level cases. Higher-level cases will typically only include the case name, number, and overview, with links to the lower-level sub-requirements.

Index

USC-1 Implement a system of control

• USC-1.1 Define system scope
  • USC-1.1.1 Implement a multi-repository network
  • USC-1.1.2 Implement a local stand-alone application
  • USC-1.1.3 Integrate a local application with an existing system
  • USC-1.1.4 Use the network as the local system

• USC-1.2 Implement a system of intellectual control
  • USC-1.2.1 Implement an arrangement policy
  • USC-1.2.2 Implement a descriptive standard

USC-2 Add / edit content

• USC-2.1 Appraise materials

• USC-2.2 Acquire archival materials

• USC-2.3 Store archival materials

• USC-2.4 Preserve archival materials

• USC-2.5 Describe archival materials

• • USC-2.5.1 Assign a unique identifier to a unit of archival material
  • USC-2.5.2 Assign a title to a unit of archival material
  • USC-2.5.3 Assign a unit to the hierarchy of arrangement
  • USC-2.5.4 Record the dates of archival materials
  • USC-2.5.5 Record the extent of archival materials
  • USC-2.5.6 Identify the creator of archival materials
  • USC-2.5.7 Describe the history of custody of archival materials
  • USC-2.5.8 Describe the conditions of access and use of archival materials
  • USC-2.5.9 Indicate the existence of related archival materials

• USC-2.6 Describe actors that interact with archival materials
  • USC-2.6.1 Identify actors
  • USC-2.6.2 Describe the nature, context, and activities of actors
  • USC-2.6.3 Indicate relationships between actors
  • USC-2.6.4 Identify related archival materials

• USC-2.7 Describe institutions that have custody of archival materials

• USC-2.8 Control description records

• USC-2.9 Assign access points to descriptions

• USC-2.10 Administer access to archival materials

• USC-2.11 Promote archival materials

USC-3 Translate content

USC-4 Access content

USC-5 Import / export content

USC-6 Administer the system