Task Analysis: How to Develop an Understanding of Work
Users’ Guide to Human Factors and Ergonomics Methods
By Jack Stuster

There are many methods for conducting task analyses. There are five popular methods—outlined in this book—but it is often necessary to study more complex operations, which  requires a deeper understanding of the work that is performed, or expected to be performed. This guide will be useful to anyone who must understand work in order to develop personnel selection criteria, training objectives, or recommendations for the design of equipment and procedures. This guide also includes anecdotes that might be amusing to human factors specialists and instructive to students and others who are new in the field.

Task Analysis is a guide, but it is also a personal account of a career in human factors research and design.It provides step-by-step guidance for conducting task analyses and illustrates the methods with detailed examples of case studies. It explores the critical abilities and tasks method in depth, which can lead to a comprehensive understanding of several factors that contribute to and degrade human performance:

• Environmental
• Situational
• Procedural
• Equipment
• Operational

Task Analysis paperback (118 pp, 7 x 10") and Kindle e-book is available on Amazon.

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About the Author

Jack Stuster is president and principal scientist of Anacapa Sciences, Inc., a human factors and applied behavioral sciences research firm located in Santa Barbara, California. He received a bachelor’s degree in experimental psychology and master’s and PhD degrees in anthropology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Stuster is a Certified Professional Ergonomist specializing in the measurement and enhancement of human performance in extreme environments. The results of his research are used to design training, equipment, and procedures to facilitate task performance under conditions that are characterized by unusual environmental and psychological stress. He developed design and procedural recommendations to facilitate sustained human performance on the International Space Station (ISS) and future spacecraft, and at planetary facilities. Stuster recently directed research to identify the skills and abilities necessary among the crew of the first human expeditions to Mars.