From information behaviour research to the design of information systems: the Cognitive Work Analysis framework

Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) is a conceptual framework that makes it possible to analyze the forces that shape human-information interaction. This analysis can then be directly transformed to design requirements for information systems. Its approach is work-centered, rather than usercentered, and it analyzes the constraints and goals that shape information behavior in the work place, regardless of the specific individuals who are involved. Being a holistic approach it examines simultaneously several dimensions: the environmental, organizational, social, activities, and individual. As a result, applying the framework requires a multi-disciplinary approach. It provides concepts and templates to facilitate an analysis of complex phenomena, without reducing their complexity. As a framework it is a structure that accommodates any relevant theory, model, or method. CWA has proven to be an effective approach to the study of human-information behavior for the purpose of designing information systems.