Cognitive work analysis for air defense applications in Australia

Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA; Rasmussen, Pejtersen & Goodstein, 1994; Vicente, 1999) is most familiar to cognitive engineers from its successes in the area of interface design. In this report, we describe how we have used CWA in a variety of other contexts at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) in Australia. First, we describe the five analytic techniques of CWA, and we show how CWA can be used throughout a system’s life cycle, from requirements definition to system retirement. Second, we provide specific examples of projects from the air defense domain in which we have used CWA. These projects include (1) evaluating alternative designs for Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft, (2) evaluating human-system integration solutions for AEW&C, (3) identifying training needs for F/A–18 pilots and developing functional requirements for a training system that meets those needs, and (4) designing information work spaces for command and control. These examples give strength to the argument that CWA can be used just as effectively in areas other than interface design where the professional contribution of cognitive engineers is required.

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