In Section 10.1 we discuss when a database developer might use fact-finding techniques. (Throughout this book we use the term ‘database developer’ to refer to a person or group of people responsible for the analysis, design, and implementation of a database system.) In Section 10.2 we illustrate the types of facts that should be collected and the documentation that should be produced at each stage of the database system development lifecycle. In Section 10.3 we describe the five most commonly used fact-finding techniques and identify the advantages and disadvantages of each. In Section 10.4 we demonstrate how fact-finding techniques can be used to develop a database system for a case study called DreamHome, a property management company. We begin this section by providing an overview of the DreamHome case study. We then examine the first three stages of the database system development lifecycle, namely database planning, system definition, and requirements collection and analysis. For each stage we demonstrate the process of collecting data using fact-finding techniques and describe the documentation produced.