Work domain analysis

CWA A family of interrelation methods forming a framework for analyzing the requirements of large human-machine systems Work-domain analysis Organizational coordination Cognitive states, strategies, and modes... 

A popular method of CWA is work-domain analysis in which a two-dimensional abstraction-decomposition space (ADS) of the system being analyzed is described (Miller 2004). On one dimension, various levels of functionality from basic physical form through functional purpose are specified. The second dimension decomposes the system into various levels of subsystems and components. Information pertinent to the combination of each abstraction level with each decomposition level is described. 

Miller, A. 2004. A work domain analysis framework for modelling intensive care unit patients. Cognition Technology and Work 6 207-222. 

Work domain analysis (WDA) comes from a suite of analytical methods, known collectively as cognitive work analysis (Vicente 1999). The basic premise of the approach is that work activity should be understood in terms of its constraints - that is, the limitations and demands that the work environment places on behaviour due to its physical, social and psychological characteristics. Work domain analysis is used to identify the structural and functional relationships present within a work setting. These are presented in a multi-level map of the work setting (Figure 5.4) that links its highest level features (purposes and priorities) to its lowest level features (processes, tasks and physical objects). 

Lim, R.H.M., Anderson, J. and Buckle, P. 2008b. Analysing Care Home Medication Errors A Comparison of the London Protocol and Work Domain Analysis. Presented at the 52nd Human Factors and Eigonomics Society Annual Meeting, New Yoik, 22-26 September. 

Naikar, N., Hopctoft, R. and Moylan, A. 2005. Work Domain Analysis Theoretical Concepts and Methodology. Report DSTO-TR-1665, Defence Science and Technology Otganisatiom... 

Phipps, D.L., Tarrr, W.V. arrd Ashcroft, D.M. (in press). Integrating data from the UK National Reporting and Learning System with work domain analysis to understand patient safety incidents in commrmity pharmacy. Journal of Patient Safety, doi 10.1097/PTS.0000000000000090. 

Work Domain Analysis and Training Needs Analysis... 

Work domain analysis involves the construction of an abstraction hierarchy (AH) and an abstraction-decomposition space (ADS), which provides a two-dimensional representation of the system under analysis (Vicente, 1999). The AH consists of five levels of abstraction, ranging from the most abstract level of purposes to the most concrete level of form. A description of each of the five abstraction hierarchy levels is given below (Naikar, Hopcroft, and Moylan, 2005) ... 

Naikar, N. and Sanderson, P.M. (1999). Work domain analysis for training-system definition. International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 9, 271-290. 

Cognitive Work Analysis is comprised of five individual methods and the first, woik domain analysis (WDA), is the means by which this functional analysis can be performed. The work domain analysis phase involves describing or modeling the system in which the activity under analysis takes place. A work domain analysis is used to identify the functional purpose and structure of the work domain in terms of the overall system goals, the processes adopted, and the artifacts used within the system. In modeling a system in this way, the system constraints that modify activity within the work domain are specified. These constraints can of course greatly influence the selection of automation strategies and allocation of function. 

BS/EN/ISO 11064-1 2001 on the horizontal axis and generalized functions from the work domain analysis along the vertical axis. The dotted box shows what situations the various functions can occur in, and the circle/whisker shows where it typically does occur. The gray shading shows human allocation white is machine allocation. 

Ahlstrom, U. Work Domain Analysis for Air Controller Weather Displays. Journal of Safety Research 36 (2005) 159-169. 

Even as we speak of time-domain analysis, we invariably still work with Laplace transform. Time-domain and Laplace-domain are inseparable in classical control. 

From the last example, we may see why the primary mathematical tools in modem control are based on linear system theories and time domain analysis. Part of the confusion in learning these more advanced techniques is that the umbilical cord to Laplace transform is not entirely severed, and we need to appreciate the link between the two approaches. On the bright side, if we can convert a state space model to transfer function form, we can still make use of classical control techniques. A couple of examples in Chapter 9 will illustrate how classical and state space techniques can work together. 

In analysis of cognitive task components, holistic perspectives have moved beyond using CTA alone to more general analyses of cognitive work. Cognitive work analysis (CWA) includes methods to describe and represent the functional work domain applicable to human-machine systems without specifying particular technologies to accomplish the work (Miller 2004, Lintern 2009, Vicente 1999). 

In addition to depicting task relationships. Figure 33.1 depicts an analysis-to-design process in which the tasks and work domain are analyzed using CTA and CWA methods. 

The use of an abstraction hierarchy (AH) provides a graphical representation of the work domain where the AH represents the system at a number of levels. At the highest level, the AH captures the system s reason for being, its functional purpose, while at the lowest level it captures the physical objects in the system s environment. In between are levels of abstraction that relate more specifically to functions and which can form the basis for an alternative approach to function analysis. The five different layers in an AH are defined briefly in Table 7.2. 

Through back analysis of numerous case histories, the 1-D time domain analysis has been shown to work well when analyzed soil deposits are horizontally layered, there is a significant impedance contrast within the profile, and when material (model) parameters are established through a reasmiable site investigation and char-acterizatirai efforts. 

Since numerous pesticides are cumulatively deposited in the living organisms and have harmful effects on them, the results of this work can contribute in increasing the protection of the analysts, especially those in the domain of pesticide analysis. 

The life sciences domain task force (LSR DTP) has several working groups architecture and road map, biochemical pathways, cheminformatics, gene expression, sequence analysis, and single nucleotide polymorphisms. 

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