A Human Factors Tool Kit

Abstract

The variety of tools and techniques available to help the human factors professional apply basic research data to the real world is constantly increasing. Despite this, there are few available sources of objective information about tools. Most of the information available to practitioners comes in the form of advertisements and professional contacts. Unfortunately, the emphasis is often on newest or latest when less expensive ‘low tech’ solutions may work just as well. Moreover, there are likely tools or techniques known to practitioners in one area of the human factors that are unknown to individuals in other areas of the discipline. The current effort seeks to identify tools useful to the human factors professional and to increase awareness of existing tools which can facilitate the application of Human Factors data to the real world. An added emphasis was placed on those tools which can be employed easily and inexpensively.