This paper provides guidance for those who are looking for support in their use of Z. It points out that you should decide the why , what and how of using Z, and provides areas to consider in making those decisions. A method is needed to support the 'how' of Z. Z in its raw state is not a method, it is a notation. The paper looks at the various aspects which help to make up an effective method, and discusses how these combine together. It provides an overview of existing approaches to Z specification and describes their usefulness in general, and in light of the aspects of method. The paper goes on to describe, briefly, a handbook on Z being produced as part of the ZIP project and concludes with some thoughts on how Z may develop.
The ideas discussed in this paper are expanded on in the book Z in Practice