What’s in a name? Using terms from de®nitions to examine the fundamental foundation of human factors and ergonomics science

A collection of words extracted from de®nitions of human factors/ergonomics (HF/E) were analysed to examine the foundational basis of the ®eld. The collected terms provide a descriptive taxonomy supporting the belief that HF/E is a multi-disciplinary endeavour that involves the design and engineering of systems for human use. The importance of an inclusive de®nition with respect to communi-cating work to others is discussed, including the need for a single name capable of capturing the essence of this dynamic and human-centred ®eld. 1