User stories are just another way to gather requirements. It is certainly a recommended technique if you are working in an agile environment. User stories are becoming more and more popular.

So what are they?

A user story simply presents the requirement from the user/stakeholder perspective. They represent the business value and the need. User stories are short sentences in the form of: As [who], I want [what], so that [why].

Some examples:

• As a notary, I want to appoint a substitute when I am not available, so that my office is not left unattended.
• As a student, I want to see my grades online, so that I know the results of my exams faster.
• As a registered user, I want to be able to generate a new password if I have forgotten my old one, to regain access to the system.

The main advantage of user stories is that you are forced to think about the why.