What Is CISUR?

Pronounced "scissor", the Common Industry Specification for Usability Requirements (CISUR) helps web managers, usability professionals, and IT project managers

Define usability requirements for website and web applications projects
Define usability performance measures that you can validate
Define the usability test methods you'll use to validate the product

Underlying the specific goals of CISUR is a deeper goal of creating useful and usable products that allow users to complete their tasks efficiently, effectively, and with satisfaction. CISUR was developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

When Should I Use CISUR?

Use CISUR to develop requirements for in-house or procured projects such as

New websites (public, private, or Intranet)
Existing website redesigns
Web applications
Section 508/Accessibility validation and remediation
Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) and Software-as-a-Service (SAAS) software

How Does CISUR Work?

CISUR addresses information in three key areas and offers three levels of requirements to give you maximum flexibility:

Context of use

Identifies intended user groups and stakeholders; main goals for each user group; intended computing or other technical environment; intended physical and social environments; scenarios of use specifying how users carry out their tasks in a specified context; and any prerequisite documentation or training materials
Usability measures

Identifies performance measures, such as effectiveness and efficiency of achieving user goals; and satisfaction measures using an established questionnaire
Test method

Specifies how the usability requirements will be tested and validated

What are the three levels of CISUR?

Your CISUR requirements can meet one of three levels of conformance. Each level builds on the previous one, allowing the usability requirements to be developed over time, with increasing detail and precision. The CISUR document includes examples of all three levels.

What does "requirements flexibility" mean?

You can update the usability requirements created with CISUR throughout a product's lifecycle. You may choose to create complete requirements, including all the information specified in CISUR, or you may adopt a lesser conformance level that meets your stakeholder and business goals.

Can I use CISUR with an existing development process?

CISUR integrates with all types of development processes and formats. If you don't have an established requirements format, you can use the CISUR examples as a guide. You can use CISUR for all types of projects, from the smallest or most informal to complex or formally specified products.

Does CISUR replace project requirements?

CISUR usability requirements are just one type of product requirement. They complement functional, business, process, security, and quality requirements. You can use the information you gather in creating usability requirements to help define other requirements (for example, features of the user interface).

How Does CISUR improve project communications?

CISUR supports communication between the parties involved by helping them better understand the user requirements. The communication may be:

Among members of the development team, to specify requirements for use by the development team. You can incorporate usability requirements into existing requirements documents.
Between the customer and vendor of a custom product, to better define specific customer requirements.
Between the customer and potential vendors of off-the-shelf products, to define general requirements and help you make informed selections.

Can CISUR help me specify accessibility and Section 508 requirements?

CISUR can help you specify

The context of use for intended users with disabilities, which will be different than that of the overall intended user population
Specific user success measures. The overall performance goals will be the same but the values, e.g., time on task, may be different for people using assistive technologies
Development methods for ensuring accessible design, which may be different than methods for ensuring overall usability

Does the Voluntary Product Assessment Template (VPAT) work with CISUR?

The VPAT is an accessibility assessment of a website or software product. A comprehensive VPAT demonstrates how the product complies with published published Section 508 accessibility standards. This is the first level of making a product accessible. CISUR provides the second level of making a product accessible. It ensures that the product is usable by the intended users, those with and without disabilities.

Where can I get a copy of CISUR and more information?

Download CISUR
For more information, email iusr@nist.gov

Content Lead: Nicole Burton

Page Updated or Reviewed: October 29, 2008

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