Ergonomics in Design: The Quarterly of Human Factors Applications is a peer-reviewed publication that provides information on the applications and practice of human factors/ergonomics (HF/E) and informs readers about the contributions that professionals in this field make to improve the design of any system, tool, environment, or product with which people interact. We welcome many formats to foster an exchange of ideas and to assist the practitioner to grow and keep current, and the researcher to identify knowledge gaps. We aim to translate the research to practice and illustrate the applications of the HF/E field.
Articles are invited describing how HF/E principles are applied in all aspects of the profession, including but not limited to system or product design, simulation, testing, training, operation, maintenance or management. Citing key references to the literature in the articles provides the efficacy of the information for industry and becomes a valuable resource for the practitioner. Although we promote an accessible style for a wide audience that is nontraditional for a peer-reviewed journal, we still look for articles that are grounded in the science and also contribute and provide value to the profession.
Ergonomics in Design is free in either paper or online form for members. Join HFES for this member benefit or subscribe as a nonmember.
Contents:
- Manuscript Types
- Review and Decision
- Manuscript Preparation
- Open Access Publication Option
Manuscript Types: Unlike most academic journals, EID articles should be written in less formal style, with use of the first person ("I," "We") instead of third person. Be sure to read some of the past award-winning articles to see how to prepare your submission using this less formal style of writing.
The following types of papers may be submitted:
Feature articles, long (3,000 words maximum) and short (1,500 words maximum).Feature articles can convey interesting directions of research; new methodologies; practical adaptations of a method; anecdotal lessons gathered in the field; HF/E opportunities in a design, system or job; case studies that demonstrate how HF/E can help an industry; interviews providing insight and debate; practical guidelines based on summaries of the literature; and experiences on integrating HF/E in design.
To meet the needs of a broad audience, emphasize the implications and possible generalization of your findings or message to other systems or tools. Relate the information in your article to core published literature and provide the main references.
Sidebars: To keep articles focused, sidebars can be submitted to provide additional information to support the article; for example, the use of an unusual piece of technology or method may be described in more detail in a sidebar. Please add sidebar information to the end of your manuscript.
Online Supplements: Ergonomics in Design also offers online links to supplemental information that might support an article, which otherwise would be too difficult to print or would make the article too long.
Review and Decision: Membership in HFES is not required to submit an article. All submissions to Ergonomics in Design undergo single-blind peer review (reviewers are anonymous to the author). However, if you prefer that your identity be concealed from the reviewers, please follow these instructions:
- Do not put any author information on the cover sheet of your manuscript (this page is visible to the reviewers)
- Once the manuscript has been fully accepted for publication, you will be prompted to send in author biographical information
- When submitting a revised manuscript and providing responses to the reviewers' comments, do not include any identifying information
The information in the cover letter will identify you to the editor, but any identification in the three areas noted above will eliminate the possibility of a double-blind review.
All submissions should comply with HFES publication policies.
Noncommercial work. Commercial promotion (marketing) of a product, service, or organization—as determined by HFES, the editor, or the reviewers—may result in rejection of the article.
Turnaround time. Please allow about six (6) weeks from submission to first decision. The editor considers the articles available, along with issue length constraints, subject matter coverage, and overall quality, to determine which articles will be selected for publication.
Manuscript Preparation: After preparing the manuscript according to the following guidelines, upload your submission to the Ergonomics in Design Manuscripts site.
For manuscript formatting, please follow the guidelines in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). The main document must be submitted in Word format. The maximum word count for a long feature article with or without a sidebar is 3,000 words. The maximum word count for a short article is 1,500 words. All word counts exclude the abstract, key points, text in tables, and references.
Tone and Style: Articles submitted to Ergonomics in Design should be written in a less formal style than that used for a research journal. However, we look for good structure, logic, flow and effective communication. Contrary to a research journal, use the first person, and avoid the passive voice. Avoid excessive use of jargon or abbreviations, and define technical terms fully since professionals of varied educational and scientific backgrounds will be reading it. References or resource lists are important, but limit the list to major works that are needed to support points in the text.
Units of Measure: Use International System of Units (SI) with United States Customary Units in parentheses.
Introductory Section: Begin the article with 1–3 introductory paragraphs to establish the context/background. Include a "hook," or 1–2 sentences that explain the purpose of the article and what will be covered. The introductory section should not be preceded by a subhead; the first subheading should follow this section.
Subheadings: Use subheads to organize the text. Rather than the "introduction-method-results" types of heading found in journals, use brief, descriptive phrases that draw the reader's attention. Do not use more than two levels of headings.
Feature at a Glance (Abstract): As part of your submission, include a 100-word abstract written in very simple terms (high school level), describing (a) the main topic of the article, (b) one or two key points made in the article, and (c) implications for practice and design. Avoid technical terms and abbreviations/acronyms.
Keywords: Provide 6–10 key words or phrases that do not already appear in the title or subtitle of the article.
Standards Identification Sidebar: EID encourages all authors to include a sidebar in their manuscript listing out standards that are related to the content of their paper. All key related standards can be included and listed out by the standard number and title.
Author Biographies: Include a short biography (75 words maximum, not counting funding acknowledgments or disclaimers) for each coauthor of the submitted article. Each biography must contain the author's full name and current affiliation and a contact e-mail address should authors wish to be reached by readers. Optional information may include highest degree (field, institution, year), primary certification, and interest areas. In addition, please include a high-resolution color photo of each author (head and shoulders only) and be sure to include the author’s last name as part of the file name.
Tables: A reasonable number of tables may be included. Tables must be in editable format.
Artwork: A reasonable number of illustrative materials can support major points in the text, such as photos, line drawings, graphs, and charts.
Format: TIFF, JPEG: Common format for pictures (containing no text or graphs). EPS: Preferred format for graphs and line art (retains quality when enlarging/zooming in).
Resolution: Rasterized based files (i.e. with .tiff or .jpeg extension) require a resolution of at least 300 dpi (dots per inch). Line art should be supplied with a minimum resolution of 800 dpi.
In addition, please include redundant coding on graphs, for example, color and texture (or symbols) or shades and texture for clarity. Read more about redundant coding in the freely available EID article "The Time Has Come for Redundant Coding in Print Publications." Another excellent resource for accommodating colorblind and color-deficient readers is "Applications of Color in Design for Color-Deficient Users."
Permissions: If your article incorporates lengthy quotations, photographs, illustrations, or other substantive content from previously published work, you will need to (a) send us a copy of the publisher's and/or author's written permission when you submit your article and (b) include an acknowledgment or credit in the appropriate place in the article. Authors are responsible for paying any permission fees required by the copyright owner. Additional guidance about reprint/reuse permission may be found here.
Open Access Publication Option: Upon final acceptance, authors may choose open access (OA) publication of their work by paying a fee of $1,500. OA papers are made available free of charge as soon as they are published online.