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Automated driving systems are deployed on public roads with little empirical support for the dominant justifications of enhanced safety and enhanced productivity. Furthermore, development of automated driving systems has been piecemeal rather than systematic while research on driver-automation interaction has relied on individual analysis of accidents and on observational studies of driving behavior in a simulator or on the road. In this paper, we apply Work Domain Analysis to develop a more systematic and comprehensive model of automated driving. We use a strategy of layering the driving automation onto the resulting Abstraction-Decomposition Space for manual driving to mimic the existing design strategy of introducing automation to take over driving functions previously the responsibility of the human driver. Our analysis shows that automation does not unequivocally supports dominant driving values. Furthermore, our analysis revealed subtle interdependencies between human and technological functions. We conclude that an Abstraction Decomposition Space offers a systematic view of driver-automation interaction that can suggest new insights for automation design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cognitive modelling, unmanned aircraft are expected to act as human-like wingmen in the near future. For fluent and effective manned–unmanned teaming, synthetic wingmen must be able to account for and adapt to their partners' intent with little or no communication. To enable such abilities, it becomes crucial to identify the requirements that makes intent explainable to synthetic wingmen, necessitating approaches to describe and analyse intent from a human-centric perspective. To address this issue, this paper reports on findings from using Work Domain Analysis to design and analyse models of situated intent with six levels of cognitive control (frames, effects, values, generic, implementations, and physical). Through a literature review and seven subject matter expert interviews, a synthesized model was designed to represent fighter pilots' intent in a manned–unmanned teaming scenario. Using the synthesized model as the context, a transfer of control and a link loss situation were further described and analysed. Experiences show that Work Domain Analysis can provide a practical and applicable means to model situated intent, particularly since designed models can be re-utilised to model intent in similar situations. Furthermore, the model analyses show the importance of accounting for fighter pilots' adopted frames since small variations of the framing of the situations can propagate throughout the model resulting in conflicting or inconsistent intent. The paper concludes that synthetic wingmen must be able to reason about all six levels of cognitive control, requiring a more holistic approach to make intent explainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work has been to propose a framework that will aid governments with the development of more coherent and effective infrastructure planning and resilience policies through a system-of-systems approach that is grounded in theory for complex sociotechnical systems. The framework has been developed by using a work domain analysis (WDA). The WDA consists of an abstraction hierarchy analysis and a part-whole decomposition. Together, the abstraction hierarchy and the part-whole description form the abstraction-decomposition space (ADS) for which the system constraints apply. By imposing constraints, the WDA promotes design for adaptation where actors within the system are allowed to adapt their behaviour as they find appropriate without violating the system’s constraints. The proposed ADS consists of five levels of abstraction and four levels of decomposition. By applying the ADS, it will aid decision making related to the overall purposes of the critical infrastructure system, the values and priority measures that are used to assess the system’s progress towards the functional purposes, as well as formulation of infrastructure needs that are necessary to achieve the functional purposes. The framework is formative in the sense that it reveals how work can be done in the critical infrastructure system. This is important because it is not feasible to prescribe, describe and risk assess all possibilities for action that are available in complex sociotechnical systems, especially when dealing with unforeseen events. Future research should focus on finding science-based yet useful in practice ways for establishing values and priority measures that encompass sustainability issues and resilience standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel approach, underpinned by systems thinking, to structure requirements and support front-end design decision-making around the performance in-use of developments within highly complex environments, with diverse stakeholders and users, such as the case of learning spaces in higher education (HE). Design/methodology/approach: Work domain analysis (WDA), a sociotechnical systems design framework, is first used to model the constraints that shape the expected performance of an informal learning space (ILS). Based on the model, the following stage involved a sector-wide survey questionnaire (n = 175) to appraise the views of different stakeholder groups in relation to ILS. These were analysed using the analytical network process (ANP). Findings: This study provides a novel approach, using WDA, to conceptualise the constraints shaping the performance in-use, integrating the perspectives of different stakeholder groups. Furthermore, it provides a structured approach to establish priorities that can serve as the basis to support complex decision-making during early design stages. The findings and proposed WDA–ANP approach aim to support HE estate managers on better understanding and integrating perspectives in relation to campus developments. Originality/value: In this paper, a novel systems-based approach is proposed as an alternative to conceptualise ILS. Furthermore, the approach is combined with ANP, a multi-criteria decision-making approach, to develop a novel tool to derive priorities and support front-end design decision-making in learning space design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While several competency frameworks have been proposed for Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) practitioners, these are not commonly based on structured analyses. The aim of this research was to develop a sociotechnical systems model of the HFE practitioner role in Australia and identify the competencies required to fulfil the role. Study One applied the Work Domain Analysis phase of cognitive work analysis (CWA) to model the HFE practitioner role. Model refinement was undertaken with seven subject matter experts. In Study Two, the model was used to elicit the competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, other characteristics) required for successful performance, via a survey of 28 HFE practitioners. Most competencies related to skills (i.e. communication skills) and knowledge (i.e. domain knowledge). Gaps in competencies were also identified, linked to a lack of HFE education pathways in Australia. The findings have practical utility for designing HFE practitioner roles and educational programs. Practitioner summary: Cognitive work analysis provided a structured analysis of the role of the Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) practitioner and to support the identification of competencies. The results suggest that HFE practitioners are generalists rather than specialists and have implications for the job design and education of HFE practitioners. Abbreviations: BCPE: board of certification in professional ergonomics; CIEHF: chartered institute of ergonomics and human factors; CWA: cognitive work analysis; HFE: human factors and ergonomics; HFESA: human factors and ergonomics society of Australia; IEA: International Ergonomics Association; KSAO: knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics; O*NET: occupation information network; SME: subject matter expert; SRK: skills, rules, knowledge; UK: United Kingdom; USA: United States of America; WDA: work domain analysis [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolated caregivers in remote environments frequently request medical advice or decision support from distant experts. Among the multiple difficulties arising from this configuration, exchanging timely and pertinent information under pressure between the two parties poses a considerable challenge. Cognitive Work Analysis and notably the Turing Machine Task Analysis (TMTA) method that enables task processing simulation represent a methodological framework that can guide the specification of remote assistance systems. Within this perspective, TMTA was used to specify assistance functions within a case study of acute abdominal pain occurring on a remote location. Using previous studies and medical knowledge, a work domain analysis of acute abdominal pain was conducted. Based on this analysis, a Turing machine state space was formalized. Applying this method provides two main outcomes helping specify medical assistance functions: a global architecture of medical assistance for isolated caregivers and guidance to define the kind of assistance functions that could be implemented, notably owing to the simulation of Turing machine scenarios. Associated with the abstraction hierarchy technique, the Turing machine simulation process provides a model of the dynamics of interaction between agents and work domain within the framework of adaptive assistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To gain a deeper understanding of the information requirements of clinicians conducting neonatal resuscitation in the first 10 min after birth. Background: During the resuscitation of a newborn infant in the first minutes after birth, clinicians must monitor crucial physiological adjustments that are relatively unobservable, unpredictable, and highly variable. Clinicians' access to information regarding the physiological status of the infant is also crucial to determining which interventions are most appropriate. To design displays to support clinicians during newborn resuscitation, we must first carefully consider the information requirements. Methods: We conducted a work domain analysis (WDA) for the neonatal transition in the first 10 min after birth. We split the work domain into two 'subdomains'; the physiology of the neonatal transition, and the clinical resources supporting the neonatal transition. A WDA can reveal information requirements that are not yet supported by resources. Results: The physiological WDA acted as a conceptual tool to model the exact processes and functions that clinicians must monitor and potentially support during the neonatal transition. Importantly, the clinical resources WDA revealed several capabilities and limitations of the physical objects in the work domain—ultimately revealing which physiological functions currently have no existing sensor to provide clinicians with information regarding their status. Conclusion: We propose two potential approaches to improving the clinician's information environment: (1) developing new sensors for the information we lack, and (2) employing principles of ecological interface design to present currently available information to the clinician in a more effective way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptocurrencies are receiving significant attention owing to their volatility, affiliation with criminal activities and perceived role in money laundering. Traditional anti-money laundering enforcement techniques are proving ineffective due to a lack of a body of knowledge about the cryptocurrency system and the continued use of traditional approaches to disruption. This study presents a first-of-its-kind systems model of the cryptolaundering system. The authors applied Work Domain Analysis (WDA) to describe the functioning of the cryptolaundering sociotechnical system using the unique language and perspective of cryptolaunderers. The resulting WDA abstraction hierarchy demonstrates the difference between cryptolaundering and traditional money laundering efforts. Cryptolaunderers operate outside of the traditional financial system relying primarily on unregistered laundering services and employ cyber tradecraft methods while circumventing regulatory and enforcement efforts. The WDA model aided with the understanding of cryptocurrency technologies, identifies avenues for intervention in cryptolaundering activities, and provides a basis for expanding anti-cryptolaundering laws and regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following strict "lockdown" restrictions designed to control the spread of the COVID‐19 virus, many jurisdictions are now engaged in a process of easing restrictions in an attempt to stimulate economic and social activity while continuing to suppress virus transmission. This is challenging and complex, and in several regions, new outbreaks have emerged. We argue that systems Human Factors and Ergonomics methods can assist in understanding and optimizing the return from lockdown. To demonstrate, we used work domain analysis to develop an abstraction hierarchy model of a generic "return from lockdown restrictions" system. The model was assessed to identify (a) issues preventing a successful return from lockdown; and (b) leverage points that could be exploited to optimize future processes. The findings show that the aim of continuing to suppress virus transmission conflicts with the aims of returning to pre‐virus economic and social activity levels. As a result, many functions act against each other, ensuring that the system cannot optimally achieve all three of its primary aims. Potential leverage points include modifying the goals and rules of the system and enhancing communications and feedback. Specifically, it is argued that moderating economic aims and modifying how social and community activities are undertaken will result in longer term suppression of the virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to cast users of railway level crossings as flexible and adaptive decision-makers, and to apply a cognitive systems engineering approach to discover new behaviour-based insights for improving safety. Collisions between trains and road vehicles at railway level crossings/grade crossings remain a global issue. It is still far from apparent why drivers undertake some of the behaviours that lead to collisions, and there remains considerable justification for continuing to explore this issue with novel methods and approaches. In this study, 220 level crossing encounters by 22 car drivers were subject to analysis. Concurrent verbal protocols provided by drivers as they drove an instrumented vehicle around a pre-defined route were subject to content analysis and mapped onto Rasmussen's Abstraction Decomposition Space. Three key results emerged. First, when they realise they are in a crossing environment, drivers' natural tendencies are to look for trains (even if not required), slow down (again, even if not required), and for their behaviour to be shaped by a wide variety of constraints and affordances (some, but not all, put there for that purpose by railway authorities). The second result is that expert decision-making in these situations does not describe a trajectory from high-level system purposes to low-level physical objects. Instead, drivers remain at intermediate and lower levels of system abstraction, with many loops and iterations. The final finding is that current level crossing systems are inadvertently constraining some desirable behaviours, affording undesirable ones, and that unexpected system elements are driving behaviour in ways not previously considered. Railway level crossings need to be designed to reveal their functional purpose much more effectively than at present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work domain analysis (WDA) is used to model the functional structure of sociotechnical systems (STS) through the abstraction hierarchy (AH). By identifying objects, processes, functions and measures that support system purposes, WDA reveals constraints within the system. Traditionally, the AH describes system elements at the lowest level of abstraction as physical objects. Multiple analyses of complex systems reveal that many include objects that exist only at a conceptual level. This paper argues that, by extending the AH to include cognitive objects, the analytical power of WDA is extended, and novel areas of application are enabled. Three case studies are used to demonstrate the role that cognitive objects play within STS. It is concluded that cognitive objects are a valid construct that offer a significant enhancement of WDA and enable its application to some of the world's most pressing problems. Implications for future applications of WDA and the AH are discussed. Practitioner summary: Some sociotechnical systems include memes as part of their functional structure. Three case studies were used to evaluate the utility of introducing cognitive objects alongside physical ones in work domain analysis, the first phase of cognitive work analysis. Including cognitive objects increases the scope and accuracy of work domain analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Netball is a newly professional women's sport, as such there has been little research conducted investigating performance analysis (PA) in elite netball. The aim of this study was to develop a model of the elite netball performance system to identify the complex relationships among key performance indicators. Eleven elite subject matter experts (SMEs) participated in workshops to produce a systems model of the netball match performance. The model was developed using the work domain analysis (WDA) method. A model of the netball match performance system was produced showing the interrelated objects, processes, functions, values, and purposes involved in elite level netball matches. The model identified the components of elite level netball performance and the interactions and relationships between them. The output of this research has identified novel PA measures including passing and possession measures, measures of cognitive performance, and measures related to physical activity. Netball is a complex sport, involving multiple dynamic and interrelated components. Consequently, there is an opportunity to develop holistic PA measures that focus on interacting components, as opposed to components in isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) is an appropriate approach in design for high-stakes domains, such as air traffic management (ATM) since it focuses on human expert performance in regular and contingency situations. However, CWA is not suitable for the design of a first-of-a-kind system since there is nothing to analyse before the start of the design process. In 2017, unmanned air traffic management (UTM) for intense drone traffic in cities was such a system. Making things worse, the UTM system has to be in place before the traffic, since it provides basic safety. In this research-through-design study, we present conceptual designing as a bootstrapping approach to CWA in the design of a first-of-a-kind UTM system. In a series of co-design workshops, we identified future services, traffic patterns, and regulations that framed the design of UTM system concepts. They were based on combinations of four basic building blocks: points, lines, planes, and volumes. Concepts of point-based control, airport geofences, grid squares, layers, and tubes were discussed. Throughout the conceptual designing, results were documented in an evolving Work Domain Analysis (WDA), which is a cornerstone of CWA. This approach allowed us to bootstrap the CWA for a first-of-a-kind-system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to apply work domain analysis for cybersecurity assessment and design of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems.Background: Adoption of information and communication technology in cyberphysical systems (CPSs) for critical infrastructures enables automated and distributed control but introduces cybersecurity risk. Many CPSs employ SCADA industrial control systems that have become the target of cyberattacks, which inflict physical damage without use of force. Given that absolute security is not feasible for complex systems, cyberintrusions that introduce unanticipated events will occur; a proper response will in turn require human adaptive ability. Therefore, analysis techniques that can support security assessment and human factors engineering are invaluable for defending CPSs.Method: We conducted work domain analysis using the abstraction hierarchy (AH) to model a generic SCADA implementation to identify the functional structures and means-ends relations. We then adopted a case study approach examining the Stuxnet cyberattack by developing and integrating AHs for the uranium enrichment process, SCADA implementation, and malware to investigate the interactions between the three aspects of cybersecurity in CPSs.Results: The AHs for modeling a generic SCADA implementation and studying the Stuxnet cyberattack are useful for mapping attack vectors, identifying deficiencies in security processes and features, and evaluating proposed security solutions with respect to system objectives.Conclusion: Work domain analysis is an effective analytical method for studying cybersecurity of CPSs for critical infrastructures in a psychologically relevant manner.Application: Work domain analysis should be applied to assess cybersecurity risk and inform engineering and user interface design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aircraft manufacturers and avionics systems suppliers are developing technologies for airliners that will be operated by just a single crew member. An alternative approach to using a large amount of on-board computing proposes the utilisation of extant technology derived from single-seat military aircraft and Uninhabited Air Systems where control is distributed in real time across the aircraft flight deck and ground stations (which supervise several aircraft simultaneously). Using a combination of operational event sequence diagrams and work domain analysis techniques, the allocation of tasks and requirements for the development of supporting technologies for such an operational architecture are identified in a low visibility taxi scenario. These analyses show that many of the functions undertaken by a second pilot in this situation are associated with checking, surveillance and monitoring activities. These must be undertaken either by automated aircraft systems or the monitoring personnel in the ground station. This analytical approach can successfully provide the necessary information underpinning the design requirements for such an aircraft concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Human Mediated Interactions / Revue des Interactions Humaines Médiatisées (RIHM) is the property of Europia Productions and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Medication safety and errors are a major concern in care homes. In addition to the identification of incidents, there is a need for a comprehensive system description to avoid the danger of introducing interventions that have unintended consequences and are therefore unsustainable. The aim of this study was to explore the impact and uniqueness of Work Domain Analysis (WDA) to facilitate an in-depth understanding of medication safety problems within the care home system and identify the potential benefits of WDA to design safety interventions to improve medication safety. A comprehensive, systematic and contextual overview of the care home medication system was developed for the first time. The novel use of the abstraction hierarchy (AH) to analyse medication errors revealed the value of the AH to guide a comprehensive analysis of errors and generate system improvement recommendations that took into account the contextual information of the wider system. Practitioner Summary: It is widely acknowledged that a systems approach is necessary to improve medication safety. This study used a cognitive engineering method, Work Domain Analysis, to map the care home medication system and analyse medication errors. A macro-level view of the system was developed and this has provided a knowledge base for future interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is aimed at developing a new method for modelling work domain knowledge with the combined use of abstraction hierarchy (AH) and living systems theory (LST). AH has been widely used as a work domain knowledge representation framework in the field of cognitive systems engineering and human-computer interaction, and its usefulness has been proved in a range of work domains. However, its effective use still remains a challenging issue. In order to address this problem, this study firstly points out several issues that can be raised in the use of AH and then explains why and how LST can give concepts and principles helpful to resolve them. The proposed method offers a framework for how to combine AH and LST, particularly to identify functional knowledge at higher abstraction levels. It also offers a process for modelling the knowledge of a work domain based on the combined use of AH and LST. The use of the proposed method is exemplified by modelling the knowledge of a simplified secondary cooling system of nuclear power plants. The proposed method is a new approach to refining the concepts of AH and modelling the knowledge of a work domain that humans should interact. It is believed that it will be a useful tool for knowledge modellers in identifying and modelling the knowledge of a work domain in terms of its functional structure. However, it should be noted that its usefulness can be limited to technology-oriented engineering systems; it would not be easily applied to human activity-oriented systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Human Mediated Interactions / Revue des Interactions Humaines Médiatisées (RIHM) is the property of Europia Productions and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This study proposes a framework coming from cognitive engineering, which makes it possible to define what information content has to be displayed or emphasised from medical imaging, for assisting clinicians according to their level of expertise in the domain. Method: We designed a rating scale to assess visualisation systems in image-guided neurosurgery with respect to the depiction of the neurosurgical work domain. This rating scale was based on a neurosurgical work domain analysis. This scale has been used to evaluate visualisation modes among neurosurgeons, residents and engineers. We asked five neurosurgeons, ten medical residents and ten engineers to rate two visualisation modes from the same data (2D MR image vs. 3D computerised image). With this method, the amount of abstract and concrete work domain information displayed by each visualisation mode can be measured. Results: A global difference in quantities of perceived information between both images was observed. Surgeons and medical residents perceived significantly more information than engineers for both images. Unlike surgeons, however, the amount of information perceived by residents and engineers significantly decreased as information abstraction increased. Conclusions: We demonstrated the possibility of measuring the amount of work domain information displayed by different visualisation modes of medical imaging according to different user profiles. Engineers in charge of the design of medical image-guided surgical systems did not perceive the same set of information as surgeons or even medical residents. This framework can constitute a user-oriented approach to evaluate the amount of perceived information from image-guided surgical systems and support their design from a cognitive engineering point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both the environmental and safety costs of road transport are considered to be unacceptably high. The ‘Foot-LITE’ project aims to encourage drivers to adopt greener and safer driving practices, with real-time feedback being given in-vehicle (during driving) and retrospective feedback off-line (pre- and post-driving). This article focuses on the early concept development of the Foot-LITE system, for which a Cognitive Work Analysis methodology was adopted. Presented are results from a Work Domain Analysis (WDA) conducted to scope the relevant driving domain and to identify the constraints on the system. Besides establishing a common framework and language for the project, the process will ultimately contribute to the design of the in-vehicle interface. This article also suggests an extension to the WDA framework to include novel methods for assessing the priority of lower level nodes and contributions of these nodes to the high-level objectives of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Collaboration is an important process that enables organisations to achieve goals or solve problems and, in design processes, is an important factor for accomplishing interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary tasks. An understanding of the functional configuration of organisations could therefore offer a useful insight into collaborations of designers. This study makes use of work domain analysis (WDA) to analyse the management of design by organisations within the microsystems technology (MST) domain. The WDA considers the functional configuration of MST companies in terms of management constraints and boundaries. This study also makes use of the WDA to suggest ways of establishing collaborative design and enhancing collaboration between organisations. Practitioner Summary: The results of this methodical analysis offer useful insights for managing design functions. This study also presents recommendations for enhancing collaboration in organisations. The ability to manage and collaborate in design functions is valuable for improving the productivity, cost-effectiveness and time-to-market systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex socio-technical systems are notoriously difficult to evaluate. The relationships between measurable processes and high-level descriptions of performance are neither clear nor well understood. Consequently, it is extremely difficult to relate changes made to physical components to overall system performance. Using the relationships captured in work domain analysis, this paper introduces a new approach for evaluating the impact of system changes. An event and actor-independent model is used to describe the given domain at a number of levels of abstraction. The relationship between these descriptions forms the basis of this approach. A case study of a recently upgraded UK land military headquarters is used to demonstrate the approach. As the presented case study will show, a clear link can be made between system changes that result in an increase in overall system performance, as well as changes that result in a degradation. It is contended that the described approach adds important structure to the way that evaluations of complex socio-technical systems are considered, creating a traceable link between changes made at a component level to high-order descriptions of domain purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a work domain analysis of dam- age control on the Canadian Halifax Class frigate. Our analysis made use of the modeling construct of object worlds to help in defining the work domain to model and to help in understanding the results of this model compared to other work domain analyses developed in the naval domain. This paper makes a practical contribution through the presentation of a detailed example of work domain analysis in a new domain and a theoretical contribution by clarifying the use of object worlds in work domain analysis, analyzing the way in which object worlds can be understood in systems where the various stakeholders are closely coordinated and promoting object worlds as a way to control model scope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work domain analysis (WDA) has been applied extensively within cognitive engineering as an analytic framework for the evaluation of complex sociotechnical systems in support of design. However, the WDAs described in the literature have not explored the representation of automated system components, despite the documented problems associated with operator-automation interaction and the requirements for operator support in complex automated systems. The current research examines the application of WDA to model an example automated system - a camera - by representing the camera along with its automated components as separate systems using the abstraction hierarchy (AH). Additionally, we contrasted this modelling approach with the more typical approach of modelling automation within a cognitive work analysis (CWA) by performing a control task analysis using the decision ladder. The results of these analyses suggest that, similar to non-automated systems, considering a separate representation of an automated system within the WDA may provide useful system design guidance in terms of user support and information requirements. The comparison of the AH and the decision ladder (DL) models indicates that the models provide different information about the requirements and support different user needs: the AH provides information about specific subsystems and components of the automation that are used for control and how they support functions and purposes of the automation while the DL shows how the control tasks are achieved interleaving automated actions with those of the user. The information obtained from modelling automation with the AH is different from what would normally be obtained by performing only a control task analysis, yet is necessary for operator support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work domain analysis (WDA) has been applied to a range of complex work domains, but few WDAs have been undertaken in medical contexts. One pioneering effort suggested that clinical abstraction is not based on means-ends relations, whereas another effort downplayed the role of bio-regulatory mechanisms. In this paper it is argued that bio-regulatory mechanisms that govern physiological behaviour must be part of WDA models of patients as the systems at the core of intensive care units. Furthermore it is argued that because the inner functioning of patients is not completely known, clinical abstraction is based on hypothetico-deductive abstract reasoning. This paper presents an alternative modelling framework that conforms to the broader aspirations of WDA. A modified version of the viable systems model is used to represent the patient system as a nested dissipative structure while aspects of the recognition primed decision model are used to represent the information resources available to clinicians in ways that support ‘if...then’ conceptual relations. These two frameworks come together to form the recursive diagnostic framework, which may provide a more appropriate foundation for information display design in the intensive care unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this note is to clarify the theoretical relationship between work domain analysis and task analysis, two classes of techniques that have been used by cognitive engineers to identify information requirements for systems design. The transformation from a work domain analysis to a task analysis (i.e., from a description of the object of control to a description of control itself) can be conceived as a discrete set of transformations. Work domain analysis identifies the set of all structural degrees of freedom that are available to any actor. Only a subset of these will be relevant for a particular context. At any particular point in time, actors will have to choose which of these relevant degrees of freedom to utilize. Finally, the utilized degrees of freedom will have a dynamic state that can usually be described quantitatively. Task analysis is the function that maps current states onto desired states via a set of human or automated control actions. By making these transformations explicit, the relevance of work domain analysis to worker (or automation) goals and actions becomes more clear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]