Formal methods and how to start using them

`Formal methods´ are hardly headline news today. They are mandated or recommended in many emerging software development standards, and have been applied in published papers and case studies in some other industries. There are many courses and books to overcome the problem of learning the formal notation language. However, one hurdle still remains-what should be done to gain a greater understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of formal methods? Here, the author addresses what is needed prior to working with formal methods. Based upon her experience, she then suggests activities which will increase the understanding of formal methods and how and where they can be applied. Finally, the author outlines her future plans in this topic