Aims and scope

The journal provides a focus for the dissemination of new results about the elicitation, representation and validation of requirements of software intensive information systems or applications.  Theoretical and applied submissions are welcome, but all papers must explicitly address:

    the practical consequences of the ideas for the design of complex systems
    how the ideas should be evaluated by the reflective practitioner 

The journal is motivated by a multi-disciplinary view that considers requirements not only in terms of software components specification but also in terms of activities for their elicitation, representation and agreement, carried out within an organisational and social context.  To this end, contributions are sought from fields such as software engineering, information systems, occupational sociology, cognitive and organisational psychology, human-computer interaction, computer-supported cooperative work, linguistics and philosophy for work addressing specifically requirements engineering issues.

Type of articles

Research articles

Research articles (1) present solutions for requirements-related problems that are novel or significantly improve existing solutions, or (2) evaluate existing problem situations or proposed solutions. Research articles must include some scientific means for evaluating the validity of the subject. Such means include by empirical studies, experiments, case studies, simulations, formal analyses, mathematical proofs, etc.

Research commentary

Research commentaries provide an analysis of current, and a roadmap to the future of, requirements research and practices. A literature survey is an example, which abstracts from the current state of the art and provides insightful observations, fruitful analogies, or proposes significant and novel research directions—especially for emerging or less-understood subjects. Research commentaries should be educational, provocative, or direction-setting. They must provide compelling argumentation for any conclusions drawn.

Topics

Topics include, but are not restricted to:

    Theories and models relevant to requirements engineering
    The intersection of requirements engineering with business engineering
    Elicitation techniques including ethnography and social studies, task analysis, HCI approaches, user centered approaches, participatory design, facilitation techniques, cooperative requirements engineering
    Analysis and valuation of cultural, political and organisational factors that affect requirements engineering practice
    Architecture and functions of computer-based tools and environments for requirements engineering
    Scenarios, design rationales and argumentation-based approaches
    The states of practice, including evaluations of different approaches in industrial-size projects: papers on problems in requirements
    Comprehensive reviews of current research and practice that synthesize findings not customarily integrated in the same place, and reports describing the unifying vision of research underway at particular institutions or research groups. 

Indexed in Current Contents® / Engineering Computing & Technology®,  and ISI's Sciences Citation Index Expanded®

Special Issue on Rethinking Requirements Engineering in the Age of Large Language Models
Submission Date: 2026-03-31

Motivation

Large Language Models (LLMs) are rapidly transforming software engineering practice, research, and education, and Requirements Engineering (RE) is no exception. LLMs are increasingly used to support elicitation, analysis, specification, and validation activities; to automate traceability and modeling tasks; and to help educate the next generation of RE professionals. These tools offer the potential to enhance productivity, creativity, and accessibility, but they also challenge traditional approaches to RE, introducing risks such as bias, lack of transparency, and erosion of human-centered skills. Equally important is understanding when and how LLMs should be avoided, restricted, or replaced by alternative strategies to preserve critical RE competencies such as stakeholder negotiation, contextual reasoning, and ethical judgment. Together, these developments highlight the need to advance requirements engineering for generative AI–based software, while also critically investigating the responsible and effective use of generative AI for requirements engineering.

Recent contributions at requirements and software engineering venues illustrate a rapidly growing community interest in this topic. However, systematic knowledge, frameworks, and best practices remain scarce. This special issue of the Requirements Engineering Journal aims to consolidate insights, share innovative practices, and chart a course for RE practice, research, and education in the era of LLMs.We warmly invite the community to contribute insights, evidence, and visions in this evolving space.

Topics of Interest

    Empirical studies of LLM use in RE tasks (e.g., elicitation, specification, modeling, validation, negotiation)
    Tools, frameworks, and platforms leveraging or restricting LLMs for RE
    RE methods and tools for generative AI applications
    Integration of LLMs into RE processes, standards, and industrial workflows
    Opportunities and risks of LLM support for RE practice and education (e.g., bias, hallucination, over-reliance, improved accessibility)
    Novel RE methodologies, teaching approaches, and assessment strategies in the presence or absence of LLMs
    Ethical, social, and pedagogical implications of LLMs in RE practice and curricula
    Case studies, best practices, and vision papers from research, industry, and education outlining future directions for LLMs in RE

Important Dates

    Submission Deadline: March 31, 2026
    Revisions Due: July 2026
    Final Decisions: September 2026
    Expected Publication: Early Fall 2026 on a rolling basis

Guest Editors

    F. Başak Aydemir, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
    Alessio Ferrari, Institute of Information Science and Technologies (ISTI-CNR), Italy
    Paola Spoletini, Kennesaw State University, USA

Submission Information

Submissions must follow the Requirements Engineering Journal guidelines, available at the https://link.springer.com/journal/766/submission-guidelines. All manuscripts will undergo rigorous peer review in line with REJ standards. All final decisions made by the Editor-in-Chief.