The past, present, and future development of a robust WDA: State-of-the-art-Review

Understanding the system logic and constraints relating to work system purposes and how they connect to the physical context of the work are central to designing and evaluating complex sociotechnical systems. The first phase of the Cognitive Work Analysis Framework (CWA), the Work Domain Analysis model (WDA) or abstraction hierarchy, underpins the development of design innovations that lead to purposeful outcomes in complex sociotechnical systems. This state-of-the-art review synthesises the evolving nature of methods used to develop WDA models reported in the CWA literature, including the potential role of AI in the future development of WDA models. A systematic search of empirical studies published in English will be conducted in EBSCOhost CINAHL Complete, Embase, APA PsychInfo, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, Ovid Medline databases in February 2026 (from inception) using "work domain analysis" OR "abstraction hierarchy" search terms. Eligibility criteria are as follows: (1) primary research study, published in English; and (2) reports the development of the WDA phase of the CWA framework. Pairs of reviewers will independently assess study titles, abstracts, and full-texts according to pre-established inclusion criteria with discrepancies resolved by a third reviewer. Independent reviewers will extract data from the included papers using a data extraction tool designed for the purpose of the review. A quality review of the published WDAs will be conducted using a checklist developed specifically for the review. The quality of included studies will not be assessed. An interpretive synthesis will be performed on the included studies. A ‘gold standard’ approach will be produced, including a decision-making flowchart to help users decide how they will build their WDA.