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Is utility in the mind of the beholder? A study of ergonomics methods

Is utility in the mind of the beholder? A study of ergonomics methods
Is utility in the mind of the beholder? A study of ergonomics methods
This paper reviews the use of ergonomics methods in the context of usability of consumer products. A review of the literature indicated that there is upward of 60 methods available to the ergonomist. The results of the survey indicated that questionnaires, interviews and observation are the most frequently reported methods used. Ease of use of the methods was dependent upon type of method used, presence of software support and type of training received. Strong links were found between questionnaires and interviews as a combined approach, as well as with HTA and observation. However, a questionnaire survey of professional ergonomists found that none of the respondents had any documented evidence of the reliability and validity of the methods they were using. A study of training people to use ergonomics' methods indicated the different requirements of the approaches, in terms of training time, application time and subjective preferences. An important goal for future research is to establish the reliability and validity of ergonomics methods
methods, techniques, training preferences
0003-6870
41-54
Stanton, Neville A.
351a44ab-09a0-422a-a738-01df1fe0fadd
Young, Mark S.
3f79589e-2000-4cb0-832a-6eba54f50130
Stanton, Neville A.
351a44ab-09a0-422a-a738-01df1fe0fadd
Young, Mark S.
3f79589e-2000-4cb0-832a-6eba54f50130

Stanton, Neville A. and Young, Mark S. (1998) Is utility in the mind of the beholder? A study of ergonomics methods. Applied Ergonomics, 29 (1), 41-54. (doi:10.1016/S0003-6870(97)00024-0).

Record type: Article

Abstract

This paper reviews the use of ergonomics methods in the context of usability of consumer products. A review of the literature indicated that there is upward of 60 methods available to the ergonomist. The results of the survey indicated that questionnaires, interviews and observation are the most frequently reported methods used. Ease of use of the methods was dependent upon type of method used, presence of software support and type of training received. Strong links were found between questionnaires and interviews as a combined approach, as well as with HTA and observation. However, a questionnaire survey of professional ergonomists found that none of the respondents had any documented evidence of the reliability and validity of the methods they were using. A study of training people to use ergonomics' methods indicated the different requirements of the approaches, in terms of training time, application time and subjective preferences. An important goal for future research is to establish the reliability and validity of ergonomics methods

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Published date: 28 February 1998
Keywords: methods, techniques, training preferences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 73901
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/73901
ISSN: 0003-6870
PURE UUID: ce4a8af5-dec1-448d-a384-aed5c87c1f87
ORCID for Neville A. Stanton: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-8562-3279
ORCID for Mark S. Young: ORCID iD orcid.org/0009-0001-2594-453X

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Date deposited: 11 Mar 2010
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 03:27

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Contributors

Author: Mark S. Young ORCID iD

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