Theoretical Concepts for Work Domain Analysis,the First Phase of Cognitive Work Analysis

Abstract

Cognitive work analysis (CWA) is gaining recognition as a promising approach for the analysis, design, and evaluation of complex, sociotechnical systems. However, the successful and widespread application of work domain analysis (WDA), the first phase of CWA, is limited by the lack of a coherent theoretical approach. This paper addresses a number of theoretical issues relating to WDA, including differences in the approaches of Rasmussen, Pejtersen & Goodstein (1994) and Vicente (1999), and it illustrates these theoretical issues with a work domain of a home — a 'system' that will be highly familiar to everyone. This research will help to: make WDA more accessible to researchers and practitioners who were not involved in the development of WDA or who cannot be apprenticed to experts in WDA; reduce the amount of time and effort it takes to perform WDA even for experts in the area; and facilitate the application of WDA to large-scale, industry projects.

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