ABSTRACT
Task analysis involves the study of what an operator (or team of operators) is required to do to achieve a system goal. The primary purpose of task analysis is to compare the demands of the system on the operator with the capabilities of the operator, and if necessary, to alter those demands, thereby reducing error and achieving successful performance. This process usually involves data collection of the task demands, and representation of those data in such a way that a meaningful comparison can be made between the demands and the operator' s capabilities. This allows ' analysi s ' o f the task and, where necessary, the specifi cation of ways to improve human performance. Sometimes this representation and analysis process may require simulation of the task in order to review more flexibly or dynamically the interactions between the system and the operator under a range of conditions. The analysis of the demands may also involve comparison of the task demands with a database on human performance limita tions, or a checklist of recommended (ergonomic) ways of designing· tasks and/or interfaces. This process of data collection, representation (and/or simula tion) and analysis is termed the ' task analysis process ' .
