Timeliness and task specification in designing for human factors in railway operations

Human engineering (also known as human factors) has been defined as, "a branch of applied science aimed at matching machine and task with the abilities of the operator." A more elaborate description of human engineering identifies it as being concerned with ... the adaptation of human tasks and working environment to the sensory, mental, physical and other attributes of people. This adaptation for human use applies to such functions as the designs of equipment, instruments, manmachine systems, and consumer products, and to the development of optimum work methods and work environment.

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A Human Factors Evaluation of a Screening System for Diabetic Retinopathy Centered in Psychological Theory

Ergonomics in Design The Quarterly of Human Factors Applications ◽

10.1177/10648046211039911 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 106480462110399

Author(s):

Alexander T. Casimir ◽

Adrian M. Pavone ◽

Abby Faircloth ◽

Amina Khan ◽

Ommar Khawaja ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diabetic Retinopathy ◽

Theory Of Planned Behavior ◽

Human Factors ◽

Early Treatment ◽

Task Analysis ◽

Psychological Theory ◽

Screening System ◽

Heuristic Evaluation ◽

Psychological Theories ◽

And Task

People with diabetes are at risk for diabetic retinopathy (DR), a leading cause of blindness. Early treatment can preserve sight; however, screening rates are low. We utilized psychological theories of motivation in tandem with human factors tools such as heuristic evaluation and task analysis to develop interventions to improve screening rates at a single clinic. Interventions addressed the system of screening, from the patients and their choices to clinic workers, device usability, and the clinic environment. Findings showed potential solutions to the screening issue situated within the theory of planned behavior. Future steps are to refine interventions and measure effectiveness.

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Project specification: creativity and rhetoric in scientific research

Journal of Organizational Change Management ◽

10.1108/jocm-09-2014-0176 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 27 (5) ◽

pp. 807-818 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nuria Nadal-Burgues

Keyword(s):

Project Management ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Intentional Action ◽

Research Projects ◽

Content Type ◽

Different Types ◽

Task Specification ◽

Time Required ◽

Traditional Approaches ◽

And Task

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify different types of project in relation to their degree of specification and the creative possibilities that more highly specified projects offer researchers. Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents the limitations of project management methods when managing research in relation to creativity. If projects are rigorously formulated and fulfill the requirements of project management, they may be compared to a mechanical task in which active decision making no longer applies. The conceptual framework develops the study of the spaces of creativity that research projects offer based on intentional action in which the notion of project is considered to be more flexible than that of more traditional approaches, and the notion of judgment is seen as a source of creativity. The empirical research presents the study of two scientific projects and compares their degree of the goal and task specification, the time required to specify them and how creativity emerges from routinized activities. Findings – The spaces of creative possibilities in projects are related in two ways: first, these spaces are related to a critical view of the concepts of repeated action and routines, and second, they are related to the ways researchers use projects and the methods of project management not only as a method but also as a form of rhetoric. Originality/value – Constituting a contribution to organizational change and innovation theory that enlarges the concept of project and brings understanding of how researchers define their projects, confront project specifications and are creative in a constrained framework.

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