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-centred, rather than user-centred, as it analyses the constraints and goals that shape information behaviour 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, activity, 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 behaviour for the purpose of designing information systems.