An HTA diagram starts with a goal and scenario (in the same way that a customer-journey map does) and highlights the major tasks to be completed in order to achieve it. In human factors, these tasks are referred to as ‘operations’. Each of the tasks in the top layer can be broken down into subtasks. The number of levels of subtasks depends on the complexity of the process and how granular the analyst wants the analysis to be.

Hierarchical task-analysis diagram (HTA)

Task Analysis is determined by how a user goes about achieving their objective or finishing tasks. Workflow Analysis in contrast is when users are brought in as learning material, as in, comprehending how they complete tasks and what the tasks are. Additionally, Job Analysis is where one user is monitored for a duration to judge the needs for the user’s role.	

Task Analysis vs Workflow Analysis and Job analysis

Stage 1: Collect information about user goals/tasks by analyzing and interacting with them.

Stage 2: Observe the tasks completed to understand the total tasks and subtasks, frequency, hierarchy, and complexity. The task analyzer then creates diagrams and other material to conclude their findings.

Stages of Task Analysis

Task Analysis is the method of learning about how users go about finishing tasks. This study was introduced by instructional design (design training), ergonomics (analyzing how users use models to better suit user experience), and human factors. TA is critical to improving user experience and goals.

Ohio State University, Columbus

Columbia University

Rutgers University

Qualitative Data

Research in human factors psychology is centered on understanding and enhancing the interactions between technology systems and their human operators. A significant portion of this research is dedicated to the field of human-software interactions, reflecting the increasing role of software in modern work environments.

Key Research Areas in Human Factors Psychology

Rosala, M. (2020, September 20). Task analysis: Support users in achieving their goals. Nielsen Norman Group. Retrieved March 26, 2022, from https://www.nngroup.com/articles/task-analysis/ 

Task Analysis: Support Users in Achieving Their Goals

- Captures participants’ thoughts, beliefs, and self-reported needs from interviews, focus groups, and diary studies 

Qualitative attitude data

- Observation about people’s behavior from contextual inquiry and ethnographic approaches  


Qualitative behavioral data

- Qualitative data can be overwhelming and without a systematic process

Challenges and Issues in Qualitative Data

Three sources of qualitative data:

- Traditional period (1900s-1940s)
- Modernist phase (1950s-1970s)
- Period of blurred genres (1970 - mid 1980s)
- Time of crisis of representation (mid 1980s - mid-1990s)
- Postmodern and post experimental stages (mid-1990s -present)

History - 5 stages in which qualitative methods were developed: 


- Subjective in nature 
- There are common mistakes that can impact the validity, trustworthiness, and dependability of results 
- Problems can happen in data collection and transcription processes 
- Preventing the common pitfalls can establish higher trustworthiness and methodological confidence

Qualitative Research Methods

Terms to be reconsidered in Qualitative Research

- Quantification is difficult
- Nature of qualitative is iterative

Why Qualitative Data is more difficult than Quantitative Data

- Cognitive Processes
- Gap between experiences and language
- Language Barrier

Why Language is a major limitation of Qualitative Data

While deductive reasoning begins with a premise that is proven through observations, inductive reasoning extracts a likely (but not certain) premise from specific and limited observations. Based on this definition, deductive analysis users predetermined categories to sort the data, and inductive analysis immerses researchers in the data and allows them to suggest new groups to researchers.

Deductive analysis vs. Inductive analysis

- Lightweight data analysis
- Heavyweight data analysis

Two Typical Analysis Plans

Task Analysis

Qualitative Surveys

The relative weaknesses of quantitative methodology are often the primary strengths of qualitative research. Qualitative approaches excel at generating novel and interesting research questions and formulating new hypotheses that might otherwise be overlooked. Furthermore, qualitative research is particularly strong in providing thick, detailed descriptions of human behavior as it occurs in real-world contexts and successfully capturing the subjective, lived experiences of specific individuals and groups.

Strengths of Qualitative Research

Human-software interactions represent a major area of research within human factors psychology. This focus is driven by the critical role that software plays in modern workplaces and the need to optimize the relationship between human users and these complex digital tools.

Human-Software Interactions

A human factors psychologist is hired to investigate the issues described in the case study. Analyze this situation and identify the primary research area within human factors psychology that the psychologist should focus on. Justify your answer by explaining how this research area addresses the specific problems described.

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