From App Features to Explanation Needs: Analyzing Correlations and Predictive Potential

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OriginalspracheEnglisch
Titel des SammelwerksProceedings - 2025 IEEE 33rd International Requirements Engineering Conference Workshops, REW 2025
Herausgeber (Verlag)Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Seiten99-106
Seitenumfang8
ISBN (elektronisch)9798331538347
ISBN (Print)979-8-3315-3835-4
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 1 Sept. 2025
Veranstaltung33rd IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference Workshops, REW 2025 - Valencia, Spanien
Dauer: 1 Sept. 20255 Sept. 2025

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NameProceedings - IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference Workshops
ISSN (Print)2770-6826
ISSN (elektronisch)2770-6834

Abstract

In today's digitized world, software systems must support users in understanding both how to interact with a system and why certain behaviors occur. This study investigates whether explanation needs, classified from user reviews, can be predicted based on app properties, enabling early consideration during development and large-scale requirements mining. We analyzed a gold standard dataset of 4,495 app reviews enriched with metadata (e.g., app version, ratings, age restriction, in-app purchases). Correlation analyses identified mostly weak associations between app properties and explanation needs, with moderate correlations only for specific features such as app version, number of reviews, and star ratings. Linear regression models showed limited predictive power, with no reliable forecasts across configurations. Validation on a manually labeled dataset of 495 reviews confirmed these findings. Categories such as Security & Privacy and System Behavior showed slightly higher predictive potential, while Interaction and User Interface remained most difficult to predict. Overall, our results highlight that explanation needs are highly context-dependent and cannot be precisely inferred from app metadata alone. Developers and requirements engineers should therefore supplement metadata analysis with direct user feedback to effectively design explainable and user-centered software systems.

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From App Features to Explanation Needs: Analyzing Correlations and Predictive Potential. / Obaidi, Martin; Qengaj, Kushtrim; Droste, Jakob et al.
Proceedings - 2025 IEEE 33rd International Requirements Engineering Conference Workshops, REW 2025. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2025. S. 99-106 (Proceedings - IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference Workshops).

Publikation: Beitrag in Buch/Bericht/Sammelwerk/KonferenzbandAufsatz in KonferenzbandForschungPeer-Review

Obaidi, M, Qengaj, K, Droste, J, Deters, H, Herrmann, M, Schmid, E, Schneider, K & Klünder, J 2025, From App Features to Explanation Needs: Analyzing Correlations and Predictive Potential. in Proceedings - 2025 IEEE 33rd International Requirements Engineering Conference Workshops, REW 2025. Proceedings - IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference Workshops, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., S. 99-106, 33rd IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference Workshops, REW 2025, Valencia, Spanien, 1 Sept. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1109/REW66121.2025.00017, https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2508.03881
Obaidi, M., Qengaj, K., Droste, J., Deters, H., Herrmann, M., Schmid, E., Schneider, K., & Klünder, J. (2025). From App Features to Explanation Needs: Analyzing Correlations and Predictive Potential. In Proceedings - 2025 IEEE 33rd International Requirements Engineering Conference Workshops, REW 2025 (S. 99-106). (Proceedings - IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference Workshops). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.. https://doi.org/10.1109/REW66121.2025.00017, https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2508.03881
Obaidi M, Qengaj K, Droste J, Deters H, Herrmann M, Schmid E et al. From App Features to Explanation Needs: Analyzing Correlations and Predictive Potential. in Proceedings - 2025 IEEE 33rd International Requirements Engineering Conference Workshops, REW 2025. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. 2025. S. 99-106. (Proceedings - IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference Workshops). doi: 10.1109/REW66121.2025.00017, 10.48550/arXiv.2508.03881
Obaidi, Martin ; Qengaj, Kushtrim ; Droste, Jakob et al. / From App Features to Explanation Needs : Analyzing Correlations and Predictive Potential. Proceedings - 2025 IEEE 33rd International Requirements Engineering Conference Workshops, REW 2025. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2025. S. 99-106 (Proceedings - IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference Workshops).
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abstract = "In today's digitized world, software systems must support users in understanding both how to interact with a system and why certain behaviors occur. This study investigates whether explanation needs, classified from user reviews, can be predicted based on app properties, enabling early consideration during development and large-scale requirements mining. We analyzed a gold standard dataset of 4,495 app reviews enriched with metadata (e.g., app version, ratings, age restriction, in-app purchases). Correlation analyses identified mostly weak associations between app properties and explanation needs, with moderate correlations only for specific features such as app version, number of reviews, and star ratings. Linear regression models showed limited predictive power, with no reliable forecasts across configurations. Validation on a manually labeled dataset of 495 reviews confirmed these findings. Categories such as Security & Privacy and System Behavior showed slightly higher predictive potential, while Interaction and User Interface remained most difficult to predict. Overall, our results highlight that explanation needs are highly context-dependent and cannot be precisely inferred from app metadata alone. Developers and requirements engineers should therefore supplement metadata analysis with direct user feedback to effectively design explainable and user-centered software systems.",
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AU - Droste, Jakob

AU - Deters, Hannah

AU - Herrmann, Marc

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AU - Klünder, Jil

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