What part of the requirements engineering process is focused on gathering information and requirements from business stakeholders?

The phase of the requirements engineering process that centers on gathering information and requirements from business stakeholders is known as requirements elicitation. This phase is crucial because it involves direct interaction with the stakeholders to capture their needs, expectations, and ideas regarding the system being developed. Effective elicitation leads to a clearer understanding of what the stakeholders require, ensuring that the final product aligns with their business objectives.

During requirements elicitation, various techniques are used, such as interviews, surveys, workshops, and observation, to draw out requirements in a collaborative manner. This not only helps in capturing explicit and implicit needs but also establishes a context for the requirements, taking into account stakeholder priorities and any constraints they may face.

The other phases, while important, serve different purposes: requirements analysis focuses on examining and refining the gathered requirements, requirements documentation is about formally recording those requirements for reference, and requirements validation involves checking and confirming that the requirements meet the needs of the stakeholders and are feasible. Each of these phases relies on the groundwork laid during the elicitation process and does not primarily involve gathering new information from stakeholders.