Chapter 3

3.0 Methodology 3.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the detailed selected methodologies for the study, methods and techniques that will be used to achieve the specific objectives of the study. It also includes the research design which describes the tools, approaches, processes and techniques employed in research study. The structured systems development life cycle, as outlined by EDWARD YOURDAN in his
book modern structured analysis [1989] has been followed in this project with minor modifications. This modified life cycle is shown overleaf. The activities in this life cycle are explained in brief below:-

ACTIVITY 1: SURVEY

This activity is also known as the feasibility study. It begins with a request from the user for a new system. It involves the following:  Identify the responsible users for the system.  Clarify the user request.  Identify deficiencies in the current system.  Establish goals and objectives for the new system.  Prepare a project charter that will be used to guide the remainder of the Project. ACTIVITY 2: SYSTEM ANALYSIS The objectivity of system analysis is to develop structured system specification for the proposed system. The structured system specification should describe what the proposed system would do, independent of technology that will be used to implement these requirements. The structured system specification will be called the essential model in many books essential model is called the logical model. The essential model itself consists of multiple models, modeling different aspect of the system. The data flow diagrams may model the function of the system, entity relationship diagrams may model the data and their relationship and the state transition diagrams

may model time dependent behavior of the system. The essential model in this project consist of only process model i.e. data flow diagram. The essential model thus consist of the following :  Context Diagram.  Event List.  Leveled Data Flow Diagram.  Process Specification for the Flows and Stores on the DFDs.  Understand the current information system.  Analyze the current system to find the deficiencies in it.  Develop the functional specification for the new system.  Review the Feasibility, and Cost-Benefit Analysis. ACTIVITY 3: PRELIMINARY DESIGN This activity deals with certain design issues, which are to be finalized in consultation with the user. The two most important design issues of the relevance to the user are the automation boundary and the human-machine interface, the output of this proposed system. This model in addition to the essential model defines the following for the proposed system. 1. Automation Boundary 2. Report Layout. 3. Screen Layout for the Data Entry Forms. 4. The parts of the new system consist of. 5. The physical layout of the input and output document. 6. The user interface of the software for the system.

ACTIVITY 4: SYSTEM DESIGN

System design involves transformation of the user implementation model into software design. The design specification of the proposed system consists of the following:  Develop the modules structure for the software.

 Develop the specification for each module.  Design the file layout or the database.

3.2 Data collection strategies and tools. 3.2.1 Questionnaires

This is a data collection techniques in which written questions are presented that are answered by respondents in a written form. I will design questionnaires which will be distributed to the individuals so as to obtain statically useful information. This technique will be used due its ability to gather responses in a standardized way, it is cheap and information is easy to analyze.

3.2.2 Interviews
This method of data collection facilitates gathering responses in an objective and standardized way, learning about processes that cannot be observed, allows representatives to raise concerns, allows modifications to lines of inquiry and also allows for probing. It provides an opportunity to gather information from respondents who are knowledgeable about the system under study. It is also useful to respondents who do not communicate properly in writing or are lazy to complete questionnaires

3.2.3 Observation
Observation will be the other method used to understand how the current system at Bugema University operates. This technique involves seeing various activities that occur to get a clear view of what exactly takes place, other than the interviews conducted. This method is adopted because it enables obtain information, which I can not capture from a questionnaire. For example attitude of respondents can only be observed. Observation is relevant in research because it gives more accurate assessment of how things actually work approval to interviews. This technique helps find out the way forward to design the system.

3.3 Analysis of requirements

After collecting the required information using the different data collection techniques to enable the project execution to be a success, data will be analyzed to remove the incompetence

contradicting and irrelevant requirements. The requirements will be put into a requirements specification document ready to be used for design.

3.4 System Design Development Process

The system development will be broken down into stages based on the systems development life cycle (SDLC) of software engineering and the traditional database development life cycle. SDLC is process by which an information system comes into life and maintains its usefulness to an organization as it moves from inception to replacement. At the end of SDLC, evaluation will be carried out to ensure that the desired or stated goals and objectives for that particular stage are achieved. The stages involved in the SDLC are explained below.

3.4.1 Phases in the systems development life cycle (SDLC)

3.4.1.1 Systems planning The main objective of this phase will be to determine the nature and scope of the problem at hand.

3.4.1.2 Requirements determination and analysis This will be aimed at learning how the current practice works. The end product of this stage will fully fledge specific system requirements document. 3.4.1.3 System Design The main purpose of this phase will be used to identify all files, inputs, outputs, and application programs that will be needed in design and implementation.

3.5 System technologies and tools 3.5.1 Entity relationship diagram (ERD and EERD)
This is the main tool for data modeling; it shows the relationship between the entities involved in

the system together with their attributes and indicates the number of occurrences of an entity that can exist for a single occurrence of the related entity.

3.5.2 Data flow diagrams (DFD)

Data flow diagrams will be used for process modeling; it helps to show how data moves in and out of the system by giving graphical representation of the system components, processes and how they interface with each other.

3.6 Implementation of the system

The implementation of an Automated Library Management System will be realized by use of object-oriented PHP, HTML, MYSQL and Dreamweaver technologies. PHP will be used to:a) Connect the user interface with the prototype database because it is free ware. b) Validate data before it is entered into the database c) User login authentication d) Open source language; it has good connective abilities and runs on many operating systems. MYSQL is a Structured Query Language (SQL) based, client/server relational database. Each of these terms describes a fundamental part of the architecture of MySQL Server. A database is a storage place for data. The user runs an application that accesses data from the database and presents it to the user in an understandable format. There are different ways to organize data in a database but relational databases are one of the most effective. Relational database systems are applications of mathematical set theory to the problem of effectively organizing data. In a relational database, data is collected into tables (called relations in relational theory). I choose MYSQL because it is easy to use, secure and scalable. It also manages memory very well and runs on many operating systems therefore supporting several development interfaces. Dreamweaver technology will be used to draw the user interfaces of the application because it

can work in a visual editing environment. Dreamweaver also provides with helpful tools to enhance web creation experience.