This research article published by the International Journal of Knowledge Content Development & Technology Vol.9, No.4, December 2019
The digitization of traditional medical knowledge in Tanzania will greatly
enhance its preservation and dissemination. This is especially important given
the challenges facing the current methods of preserving and managing such
knowledge. This study presents the requirements engineering approaches and
requirements for a web-mobile application that would successfully digitize
indigenous knowledge of phytomedicine and relevant practitioners licensing
and registration processes. To establish the requirements of such a digital
system application, the study sought the opinion of 224 stakeholders whose
suggestions were used to analyze and model the requirements for designing
such a web-mobile tool. The study was carried out in Arusha, Kagera and
Dar es Salaam regions of Tanzania which involved ethnobotanical researchers,
herb practitioners, curators from herbaria and registrar officers from Traditional
and Alternatives Health Practice Council. Structured interview, survey,
observation and document review were employed to find out the basic
functional and non-functional requirements for possible designing and
implementation a web-mobile application that would digitize indigenous
knowledge of medicinal plants. The requirements were modelled using the
use case and context diagrams. Finally, the study came up with a list of
items for both functional and non-functional requirements that can be used
as guidelines to develop a web-mobile application that will capture and
document traditional medical knowledge of medicinal plants in Tanzania
and, enabling relevant authorities to regulate and manage stakeholders.