title: Validating the strategies analysis diagram: assessing the reliability and validity of a formative method.
abstract: The Strategies Analysis Diagram (SAD) is a recently developed method to model the range of possible strategies available for activities in complex sociotechnical systems. Previous applications of the new method have shown that it can effectively identify a comprehensive range of strategies available to humans performing activity within a particular system. A recurring criticism of Ergonomics methods is however, that substantive evidence regarding their performance is lacking. For a method to be widely used by other practitioners such evaluations are necessary. This article presents an evaluation of criterion-referenced validity and test-retest reliability of the SAD method when used by novice analysts. The findings show that individual analyst performance was average. However, pooling the individual analyst outputs into a group model increased the reliability and validity of the method. It is concluded that the SAD method's reliability and validity can be assured through the use of a structured process in which analysts first construct an individual model, followed by either another analyst pooling the individual results or a group process pooling individual models into an agreed group model.
authors.affiliation: Griffith Aviation, Griffith University, Nathan Campus, 170 Kessels road, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia; Monash Injury Research Institute, Monash University, Building 70, Clayton Campus, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia. Electronic address: m.cornelissen@griffith.edu.au.
authors.forename: Miranda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cornelissen
authors.affiliation: Monash Injury Research Institute, Monash University, Building 70, Clayton Campus, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia. Electronic address: Rod.Mcclure@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Roderick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McClure
authors.affiliation: University of the Sunshine Coast Accident Research (USCAR), Faculty of Arts and Business, University of the Sunshine Coast, Locked Bag 4, Maroochydore DC, QLD 4558, Australia. Electronic address: psalmon@usc.edu.au.
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Salmon
authors.affiliation: Civil, Maritime, Environmental Engineering and Science Unit, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ United Kingdom. Electronic address: N.Stanton@soton.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Neville A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Stanton
mesh_terms: D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology; D002755:Choice Behavior; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D016138:Walking / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Cognitive Work Analysis; Strategies Analysis Diagram; Validation