The purpose of this session(s) is to attempt a novel forum for bridging the researcher/practitioner dichotomy that divides the human factors professional community. The objective of this session(s) is to convene a group of attendees to formulate a detailed list of critical human factors research needs. Attendees will suggest and discuss critical needs they have for human factors data, research, and analyses. The purpose of discussion will be to embellish and clarify initial suggestions, rather than to limit or discourage specific suggestions. This is not a forum for researchers to discuss their work, but rather a forum for practitioners to discuss their current work and the informational needs that serve as barriers to their effectiveness. Individual Technical Groups co-sponsored component discussions as a means for targeting their application areas of interest. The Strategic Planning Focus Groups held at the 1995 Annual Meeting served as the model for interaction among attendees. A publication will be produced following the Annual Meeting which identifies critical human factors research needs, based on direct input from industry practitioners– the direct consumers of such research. As such, it differs from similar publications extant (e.g., those of the National Research Council) which are driven by researchers' perceptions of research needs. By using the interactive “focus group” format that was so successful at the 1995 Annual Meeting, it is anticipated that this session will be able to make great strides toward bridging the research/practice gap that currently exists in the human factors profession.
