Technical note: Objective and subjective rankings of scientific journals in the field of ergonomics: 2004–2005

Ergonomics journals and journals related to the field of ergonomics were ranked according to a method developed by Dul and Karwowski (2004) to create the Ergonomics Journal List 2005 (EJL2005). The EJL2005 was compared with the EJL2004. The rankings of the best ergonomics journals in EJL2005 were compared with the rankings based on perceived journal quality from a survey among 130 certified European ergonomists. The results show that in the EJL2005, the six primary ergonomics journals are the same as in the EJL2004, although some journals changed position. Eleven new journals showed up in the list of 61 related journals (non‐ergonomics journals that regularly publish ergonomics articles). The total number of ergonomics articles in these journals increased from 605 in the EJL2004 to 623 in the EJL2005. There was a high congruence between the ranking of ergonomics journals in the EJL2005 and rankings based on perceived journal quality (Pearson r = 0.90). © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 15: 327–332, 2005.     

A review of: “Stochastic Choice of Mode in Urban Travel”: A Study in Binary Choice. By STANLEY LEON WARNER (Northwestern University Press.)

The following abstracts are of work of ergonomic interest which have appeared in other journals and research reports. They are a selection from the quarterl‘Ergonomics Abstracts’ which is published by the Ergonomics Information Analysis Centre, Department of Engineering Production, University of Birmingham, England. This journal offers a comprehensive annotated bibliography of current ergonomics publications. By special arrangement, its contents, printed on unbound adhesive backed sheets, are available at reduced rates to members of national ergonomics and human factors societies on application to the Centre. Selections of the information in the Centre's continuing collection, currently totalling some 64,000 abstracts, are available through special bibliographies prepared on request, and may cover any of the recognized subject headings in the field of ergonomics.     

Citation analysis and impact factor trends in the Ergonomics Journal List, 1975–2007

The current study sought to investigate and analyze citation‐based trends in the field of human factors and ergonomics over a relatively long period of time. Journals were selected from the Ergonomics Journal List (EJL), originally formulated by Dul and Karwowski in 2004. Data were extracted from the Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports via a custom order in 2008. Various bibliometric indicators were examined and analyzed, including total citation counts, cited half‐lives, immediacy indices, and journal impact factors. Overall, the results suggest that, although citation counts have increased in recent years, trends were less clear regarding cited half‐lives and immediacy indices. Impact factors rose over time, however, with individual journals increasing their scores between 200% and 613%, with an overall increase of 416% for the EJL between 1975 and 2007. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The IEA contribution to the transition of Ergonomics from research to practice

The future growth of ergonomics as a scientific discipline will require a greater focus on methods to transition research findings into practice. Whilst the International Ergonomics Association (IEA) and the Federated Ergonomics Societies provide opportunities to promote exchange on ergonomics research and collaboration in research programs, the future sustainability of the domain will be dependent on the provision of ongoing educational opportunities in ergonomics and the transitioning of the research findings into practice. This transition will require greater external focus outside the ergonomics profession in working in collaboration and partnership with other professional associations, governments and international agencies. Practical tools that are targeted towards particular user groups within the community, workplace, and governments will enhance the opportunities for the transition of ergonomics research into practice. Focus on extramural initiatives such as Ergonomics Checkpoints, integration of the ergonomics design process into the International Organisation for Standardization Guidelines, and the incorporation of ergonomics into the World Health Organisation research programs will ensure that the positioning of ergonomics will continue at an international level.     

Human factors in industrial systems: 40 years on

OBJECTIVE: I evaluate the contribution of a pioneering Human Factors special issue on human factors in industrial systems. BACKGROUND: Papers on the content of the journal's first 10 years showed that industrial human factors/ergonomics (HF/E) in 1969 was quite a rarity in the journal and the society. METHOD: The 12 papers in the special issue are reviewed briefly and show a wide range of topics, including traditional industrial engineering, physical HF/E, and more mainstream applications of HF/E in this domain similar to those in military and aerospace domains. The evaluation is through citations, later journal content, society technical group membership, and specific influences of Harris's own paper in the issue. RESULTS: The expected direct citation influence of this special issue was not found: Citation counts were in line with all papers in Human Factors. However, other journals have been founded in North America that serve industrial HF/E and provide an outlet for more papers per year than Human Factors. In addition, the industrial domain is well represented in the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. Finally, Harris's paper has been influential in the specific area of HF/E in inspection. CONCLUSIONS: Industrial HF/E is now more accepted within the HF/E community, although largely in the physical ergonomics subspecialty. APPLICATION: There is now evidence of use of HF/E techniques more broadly in industry, including service as well manufacturing enterprises.     

Fundamentals of systems ergonomics/human factors

Ergonomics/human factors is, above anything else, a systems discipline and profession, applying a systems philosophy and systems approaches. Many things are labelled as system in today's world, and this paper specifies just what attributes and notions define ergonomics/human factors in systems terms. These are obviously a systems focus, but also concern for context, acknowledgement of interactions and complexity, a holistic approach, recognition of emergence and embedding of the professional effort involved within organization system. These six notions are illustrated with examples from a large body of work on rail human factors.     

The good, the bad, and the future: on the archaeology of ergonomics

OBJECTIVE: This article places the 50th anniversary edition of the Human Factors journal in a historical context. BACKGROUND: It is appropriate to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Human Factors and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, but in so doing, we celebrate only the recent history of ergonomics. METHOD: By digging into the history of ergonomics, we can better understand the evolution of method, practice, and concepts in the human factors discipline. RESULTS: One develops a greater admiration for early practitioners of human factors and ergonomics, as well as the importance of history. CONCLUSION: Some satisfaction about the rise, evolution, and fall of ergonomic ideas is justified. "If I have seen further..." APPLICATION: We can better define the starting point for the next 50 years.     

Do we need sustainability as a new approach in human factors and ergonomics?

The International Ergonomics Association Technical Committee ‘Human Factors and Sustainable Development’ was established to contribute to a broad discourse about opportunities and risks resulting from current societal ‘mega-trends’ and their impacts on the interactions among humans and other elements of a system, e.g. in work systems. This paper focuses on the underlying key issues: how do the sustainability paradigm and human factors/ergonomics interplay and interact, and is sustainability necessary as a new approach for our discipline? Based on a discussion of the sustainability concept, some general principles for designing new and enhancing existent approaches of human factors and ergonomics regarding their orientation towards sustainability are proposed.

Practitioner summary: The increasing profile of sustainability on the international stage presents new opportunities for human factors/ergonomics. Positioning of the sustainability paradigm within human factors/ergonomics is discussed. Approaches to incorporating sustainability in the design of work systems are considered.     

Integrating ergonomics into engineering: Empirical evidence and implications for the ergonomists

Engineering design is a strong determinant of workplace ergonomics. A survey among 680 engineers in 20 Danish enterprises indicated that engineers are not aware that they influence the work environment of other people. Ergonomics had a low rating among engineers, perhaps because neither management nor safety organizations expressed any expectations in this area. The study further indicated that effects of ergonomics training in engineering schools were very limited. The engineering cultures in enterprises, together with other organizational factors, are suggested to be of greater importance than the professional training. The implications for industrial ergonomists might be an acknowledgement of the role as change agent when trying to integrate ergonomics into engineering. In doing so, they need also to acknowledge that engineers are widely different. They have different backgrounds and a “sensitivity” to ergonomics depending on their current engineering domain, tasks, organizational position, and the industrial branch of their organization. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 17: 353–366, 2007.     

Ergonomics Improvement in Order Selection in a Refrigerated Environment

The purpose was to conduct an ergonomics improvement in the order selection process in a refrigerated dairy factory. The workers' task was to pick dairy products to fulfill orders. Plant walkthroughs, unstructured interviews, and direct observation methods were used to study the existing process and problems. Ergonomics intervention was made by introducing a wireless handheld scanning system. A field experiment was carried out to compare the conventional paper pick list with the new system. Results indicated that workers faced difficulty in the paper pick list system, that is, to grasp a clipboard, turn pages, and place marks while wearing thick gloves. The new system eliminated this problem, and because of its ergonomics visual and audio feedback properties and more efficient process, it increased productivity (by 8.4%) and workers' satisfaction, simplified tasks, improved work quality, and reduced delay in invoicing. Replicating the intervention, other process‐based manufacturing companies may reap similar benefits. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Designing for sustainability: ergonomics – carpe diem.

Sustainability is a global issue that has worldwide attention but the role of ergonomics in designing for sustainability is poorly understood and seldom considered. An analysis of the literature on ergonomics, design and sustainability was conducted via a search of electronic databases: Scopus, Business Source Complete, Google Scholar, Emerald Publishing, Academic Search Premiere, Web of Science, Discover and Ergonomics Abstracts, for the years 1995–2012. A total of 1934 articles fulfilled the search criteria, but content analysis of the abstracts indicated that only 14 refereed articles addressed the main search criteria. Of those seven were in ergonomics journals and seven were in other journals (and were not written by ergonomists). It is concluded that the contribution of ergonomics to sustainability and sustainable design has been limited, even though the goals of sustainability and ergonomics are congruent. Ergonomists have not been at the forefront of research contributing to sustainability – and it is time for them to ‘seize the day’ – ‘carpe diem’.

Practitioner Summary: This literature review shows that ergonomics contribution to sustainability is limited but since there is congruence between the disciplines it calls for ergonomists to become more involved and to seize the day – carpe diem.     

Citation analysis and bibliometric research in the field of ergonomics

Given that journal impact factors now represent such a “hot” topic in the modern scientific world, it is essential that ergonomists remain fully cognizant of the citation‐based research that has been conducted in our field. This article reviews and examines bibliometric research in the ergonomics profession, ranging from seminal work on content analysis and citation indexing, to some of the latest research describing ergonomics journal lists and longitudinal impact factor trends. Overall, history has shown how citation‐based studies have become increasingly common in the ergonomics field during the past few decades, and, as we move through the 21st century, ergonomics journals continue to mature as a result. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Ergonomic problems in ship control

This is the first of two papers concerned with the application of ergonomics in marine systems. Ergonomics problems in ship control will be discussed in this paper, and a subsequent paper, by D.M. Anderson, will illustrate the contributions of ergonomics to bridge design by means of a case study. Ergonomics problems in ship control are identified with basic human limitations in perception, decision making and control. Ergonomics can make immediate contributions towards minimising many of these difficulties. Guidance can also be provided in the development of new marine systems to overcome the human limitations of the mariner.     

Workload and ergonomics measures in Swedish professional fishing

The major types of professional coastal fishery in Sweden were studied. A questionnaire indicated that symptoms from the musculo-skeletal system were common and that certain symptoms related to certain types of fishing. Working tasks inducing severe workload were identified. They concerned handling the fishing gear as well as handling the catch. Ergonomics measures to decrease the workload were suggested and evaluated through ergonomics assessment, measurements of oxygen uptake and working posture analyses. It was found that ergonomics measures can be taken which are efficient in reducing the load on the musculo-skeletal system of the fishermen.     

Forty years of IEA: some reflections on the evolution of ergonomics

This paper is the IEA Presidential Address to the 1997 IEA Triennial Congress in Tampere, Finland. The evolution of ergonomics prior to and after the foundation of the International Ergonomics Association in 1957 is reviewed. Ergonomics has broadened from considering work activities to include all types of human activities. The recent introduction of computers has changed many of the premises for work and leisure activities, and cognitive ergonomics is now as important as the ‘biological’ emphasis that was mentioned in the founding documents of IEA. Ergonomics is a science of design. There are three important targets for ergonomics design activity: to improve safety, productivity and operator satisfaction. A systems approach is presented to define how these parameters interact and how they can be measured.     

Control Strategies of Experienced and Novice Controllers with a Zero-Energy Nuclear Reactor

The objective of this paper is to describe how and why ergonomics should be promoted in total quality management (TQM). Ergonomics and TQM activities are compared. An approach is proposed to apply ergonomics in TQM using ergonomics circles. An eight-step approach is introduced for applying ergonomics using ergonomics circles and a study that employed this approach in Korea is discussed. In applying this approach, all processes were first evaluated by workers. Processes that were identified as problematic were analysed by a company-wide committee to set priorities for improvement. An ergonomics improvement team consisting of safety and health personnel, process engineers and management innovation personnel then worked on the processes using a low-cost approach. It was found that applying ergonomics using ergonomics circles as quality circles in TQM was effective in improving workplaces and resulted in increasing productivity, cost saving and improved safety.     

Ergonomics in total quality management: how can we sell ergonomics to management?

The objective of this paper is to describe how and why ergonomics should be promoted in total quality management (TQM). Ergonomics and TQM activities are compared. An approach is proposed to apply ergonomics in TQM using ergonomics circles. An eight-step approach is introduced for applying ergonomics using ergonomics circles and a study that employed this approach in Korea is discussed. In applying this approach, all processes were first evaluated by workers. Processes that were identified as problematic were analysed by a company-wide committee to set priorities for improvement. An ergonomics improvement team consisting of safety and health personnel, process engineers and management innovation personnel then worked on the processes using a low-cost approach. It was found that applying ergonomics using ergonomics circles as quality circles in TQM was effective in improving workplaces and resulted in increasing productivity, cost saving and improved safety.     

A multiple criteria assessment of decision technology system journal quality

Over the years, a number of researchers have assessed the quality of information systems (IS) journals. Most of these studies have assessed general IS journals, but few have specifically examined journals that focus on decision making support systems. Furthermore, even though there are many factors that measure journal quality, very few gauges have been used in the previous evaluations.This paper offers a multiple criteria quality assessment of decision making support journals. Initially, the article presents the criteria and a methodology for consolidating the multiple criteria into an integrated measure of journal quality. Next, there is a discussion of the data collection process and the resulting multiple criteria evaluation. The paper concludes with a summary of the evaluation and the implications for information systems theory and practice.     

Ergonomics and sustainability: towards an embrace of complexity and emergence

Technology offers a promising route to a sustainable future, and ergonomics can serve a vital role. The argument of this article is that the lasting success of sustainability initiatives in ergonomics hinges on an examination of ergonomics’ own epistemology and ethics. The epistemology of ergonomics is fundamentally empiricist and positivist. This places practical constraints on its ability to address important issues such as sustainability, emergence and complexity. The implicit ethical position of ergonomics is one of neutrality, and its positivist epistemology generally puts value-laden questions outside the parameters of what it sees as scientific practice. We argue, by contrast, that a discipline that deals with both technology and human beings cannot avoid engaging with questions of complexity and emergence and seeking innovative ways of addressing these issues.

Practitioner Summary: Ergonomics has largely modelled its research on a reductive science, studying parts and problems to fix. In sustainability efforts, this can lead to mere local adaptations with a negative effect on global sustainability. Ergonomics must consider quality of life globally, appreciating complexity and emergent effects of local relationships.