The IFIP Technical Committee on Human-Computer Interaction (TC.13) encourages the development towards a science and technology of HCI, through pursuit of the following aims:

• To encourage empirical research (using valid and reliable methodologies, including studies of the methods themselves where necessary);
• to promote the use of knowledge and methods from the human sciences in the analysis, design, and evaluation of computer systems;
• to promote better understanding of the relation between formal design methods and system usability and acceptance;
• to develop guidelines, models and methods to help designers provide better human-oriented computer systems; and
• to cooperate with other groups, inside and outside of IFIP, so as to promote user-orientation and 'humanisation' in system design.

The scope of work and areas of study include:

• The problems people have with computers;
• the impact of computers upon people in individual, organisational, social, and learning contexts;
• the determinants of utility, usability, satisfaction, and acceptability;
• the appropriate allocations of tasks between computers and people;
• modelling the user as an aid to better system design; and
• harmonising the computer to the characteristics and needs of users.