EDITORIAL Ergonomic vs. Ergonomics: acknowledging the etymology

摘要

When certain influential ergonomics practitioners and researchers received their initial training, they were clearly and firmly instructed that correct usage is 'ergonomics' as a noun. With regard to 'ergonomic', some tutors could be unsympathetic if a student used this as the adjective form, advising it to be both wrong and inappropriate. At least in part, this position was probably a reaction to growing misuse of 'ergonomic' to describe and promote products and services revealing little evidence of any meaningful engagement with ergonomics.