Small Business Research and Development; Oxymoron or Golden Opportunity?

Keywords: panel discussion, human factors, academic pursuit

Abstract: The chief question of this Professional Development panel will be whether or not the small business environment provides a good venue for pursuing a career in Human Factors research and development—or, perhaps more accurately, how it can be made to do so. The panelists will be recognized successes within the Human Factors community in terms of both their professional careers as small business owners or workers and in terms of their sustained ability to contribute valuable research to the more academic pursuit of Human Factors as a science. Panelists will be asked to tell their ‘story’—why and how they chose to go the small business route—and then will be asked to provide answers to a specific set of questions about the ability to do research in a small business venue. Audience participation will round out the session and should uncover additional insights on the ability to mix income with research in this setting.