Human Factors, Ergonomics, and Human Factors Engineering: An Analysis of Definitions

report was prepared in response to a request by the Human Factors Committee of the National Research Council to aid its deliberations regarding a standardized definition of human factors. Though many variations of definitions abound, a formally endorsed unified definition of the field does not exist. CSERIAC's approach to this query was to compile and analyze definitions of human factors (and related terms) from a range of key resource materials and present them in a manner to expedite the Committee's consideration of a unified definition. Subsequent to a review of the human factors literature, we collected definitions, sorted and organized them, and then examined their components. We also went beyond the human factors literature to ascertain the elements of a good definition. A Definition of Definitions1 A definition is a set of words or phrases expressing the essential nature, meaning, and significance of a thing or a class of things. In Aristotelian terms, we must determine the real nature of an entity by indicating both the genus that includes it and the specific differences which set it apart by distinct detail. GENU