From start to end: INDEX for business analysis

Starting out:

First things first; learn the skill: Understand how to structure and write requirements before you start using requirements management tools.
Asking questions and getting answers: Learn how to ask questions to get answers to the important issues.
Why you need good requirements: Some quick facts on project success and requirements. Presentation available.

Requirements:

Clarity: Requirements should be succinctly stated; using as few words as possible. Otherwise, ambiguity may occur. Excessive rambling, jargon & wishful thinking confuse readers -- avoid it. So it's still not clear?! Here's a short presentation deck recapping all of these items (the presentation is simply called Clarity.)
Consistency: I hate it when people say, "Turn right. Your other right!"
Testability: Prove to your client that the solution meets their needs. When a statement contains multiple requirements it's testability can be compromised.
Traceability: What requirement led us to do this? How much work do we have left?
Modularity: Update in one place and only in one place. Makes change management a lot less painful.
Feasibility: Do you really think with enough time and money you can solve any problem?
Design Independence: It starts with what and why. How comes later.
Requirements vs. requirements management: Gathering requirements and managing them.
Assessing requirement quality: How do you know if you have decent requirements?

The why of business analysis:

Running a business analysis engagement:

Prepare thyself - make sure it's not you: Make sure you're mentally and psychologically ready and able to work. Eliminate any preconceived judgments and notions.
Know the situation: Before you start an engagement take some time to grasp the nature of the project, it's urgency and the resources you'll need.
Choose your tools: Decide what approach you will use. Will you prototype, interview, brainstorm or observe behavior?
Set expectations: Ensure your role on the project is clearly defined and that you understand the roles of others as well.
Time estimation: Estimate how long it will take you to complete your tasks. As you run through more projects your estimation skills will increase.
It's the little things... Words that should make your ears perk up: Little words that your clients say that create headaches for you unless you clear them up now!
New! How are your business analysts doing? Understand how to assess them.
New! Understanding the goal: Knowing the objectives of your requirements gathering sessions helps you determine whether the requirements you are getting will actual help to solve the problem.

Project Bits & Bites

How do you know you're done?: Use requirements management practices and traceability to see how much work you've done and how much you have left to do.
Well-done or done well?: Use cost-benefit to determining where to invest your energy.
System development life cycles & requirements: A very high-level overview of different system development life cycles and how this impacts requirements gathering.
The project and the business analyst: Understand your role in a project and the activities you'll perform to support the initiative. Slides available!
The sweet smell of success: Measuring success on a project ultimately boils down to meeting or exceeding targets established earlier in the project.
Choose a methodology that suits your project: No one methodology will fit all projects.
Testing & Validation: What are the different types of testing that occur as a project moves forth? Slides available!
New! Requirements in an agile world: Understand that impact a different project methodology will have on requirements.
New! Setting expectations: It's important that people know what you are delivering and why.
New! How a "bad" requirement can stifle innovation: A lack of design independence in requirements can lead to a sub-optimal solution.

From start to end