Advances in Human Factors\/ergonomics 

About: Advances in Human Factors\/ergonomics is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): User interface & Interface (computing). Over the lifetime, 356 publications have been published receiving 1561 citations.

Usability is Quality of Use

Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the distinction between broad and narrow approaches to usability and identifies the broad approach to usability with the higher level quality objective of quality of use. It is suggested that quality of use should be the major design objective for an interactive product. This relates usability to business objectives and elevates usability from an optional extra to the prime design goal. The narrow approach is complementary and is concerned with the design of features of the product that are a pre-requisite for quality of use. The two different interpretations of usability lead to two approaches to the specification and evaluation of usability. The chapter describes that user-based evaluation can be used to validate achievement of these requirements. Usability attributes provide a contribution to achieving quality of use. The presence or absence of these attributes can be verified early in design. In addition, frequent user-based evaluation of early mock-ups and prototypes is required to give feedback on the quality of use of potential solutions.

Human-Computer Interaction Standards

Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter presents human-computer interaction (HCI) standards. Standard user interfaces provide the benefit of consistency; they become out of date as technology changes, and are usually only appropriate for limited types of users and tasks. Thus most work on international standards for HCI has not been about precise specification, but instead has concentrated on the principles that need to be applied in order to produce an interface, which meets user and task needs. These standards broadly fall into two categories—one is a top-down approach, which is concerned with usability as a broad quality objective: the ability to use a product for its intended purpose. The other is a product-oriented bottom-up view, which is concerned with aspects of the interface that make a system easier to use. The broad quality view originates from human factors, and standards of this type are applicable in the broad context of design and quality objectives. The product-oriented view concentrates on the design of specific attributes, and relates more closely to the needs of the interface designer and the role of usability in software engineering.

Research Guide to Applications of Fuzzy Set Theory in Human Factors

Abstract: The paper presents the literature related to application of fuzzy set theory to Human Factors and has 784 research papers listed in the bibliography which is given at the end. As in any other collection this literature list has a subjective viewpoint and may be in some sense incomplete. Analysis of these data provides interesting insights regarding the characteristics of articles of the applications of fuzzy set theory, literature trends and the future. This paper consists of two parts. In Part I, the methodology used to gather the information, language, citation, and descriptor analysis, and conclusions are described. Part II is the main bibliography.

Supporting user interfaces for all through user modeling

Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the development of supporting user interfaces for all users through user modeling User models are collections of information and assumptions about individual users (as well as user groups) which are needed in the adaptation process This holds true for the manual adaptation of the interface by the system developer according to the requirements of specific user groups or individual users; it is even more necessary if a system is supposed to automatically adapt to the requirements of the current user User characteristics that have been modeled include users' domain knowledge, goals, plans, interests, preferences, and misconceptions The adaptation takes place at the level of the content of the provided information (as opposed to the level of information presentation at the interface) Recent research efforts extend the scope of user modeling towards modeling the characteristics of all users, including those with communication and interaction difficulties

Measurement of Membership Functions

Abstract: Empirical measurement of membership functions of fuzzy sets are considered with the fundamental axioms of measurement theory. An experimental construction of fuzzy set membership leads to a realization of stochastic fuzziness and a type II fuzzy set representation. Axioms of measurement can be validated with a probabilistic interpretation.