United States Department of Labor Office of
Administrative Law Judges Law Library
Note: The DOT was created by the Employment and Training Administration, and was last updated in 1991.
It has been replaced by the O*NET.
DICTIONARY OF OCCUPATIONAL TITLES (4th Ed., Rev. 1991) --
APPENDIX B
APPENDIX B
EXPLANATION OF DATA, PEOPLE, AND THINGS
Much of the information in this publication is based on the premise that
every job requires a worker to function, to some degree, in relation to Data,
People, and Things. These relationships are identified and explained below.
They appear in the form of three listings arranged in each instance from the
relatively simple to the complex in such a manner that each successive
relationship includes those that are simpler and excludes the more complex.
(As each of the relationships to People represents a wide range of complexity,
resulting in considerable overlap among occupations, their arrangement is
somewhat arbitrary and can be considered a hierarchy only in the most general
sense.) The identifications attached to these relationships are referred to
as Worker Functions, and provide standard terminology for use in summarizing
how a worker functions on the job.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth digits of the occupational code reflect
relationships to Data, People, and Things, respectively. These digits express
a job's relationship to Data, People, and Things by identifying the highest
appropriate function in each listing shown in the following table:
DATA: Information, knowledge, and conceptions, related to data,
people, or things, obtained by observation, investigation, interpretation,
visualization, and mental creation. Data are intangible and include numbers,
words, symbols, ideas, concepts, and oral verbalization.
0 Synthesizing: Integrating analyses of data to discover facts
and/or develop knowledge concepts or interpretations.
1 Coordinating: Determining time, place, and sequence of
operations or action to be taken on the basis of analysis of data; executing
determinations and/or reporting on events.
2 Analyzing: Examining and evaluating data. Presenting
alternative actions in relation to the evaluation is frequently involved.
3 Compiling: Gathering, collating, or classifying information
about data, people, or things. Reporting and/or carrying out a prescribed
action in relation to the information is frequently involved.
4 Computing: Performing arithmetic operations and reporting on
and/or carrying out a prescribed action in relation to them. Does not include
counting.
5 Copying: Transcribing, entering, or posting data.
6 Comparing: Judging the readily observable functional,
structural, or compositional characteristics (whether similar to or divergent
from obvious standards) of data, people, or things.
PEOPLE: Human beings; also animals dealt with on an individual
basis as if they were human.
0 Mentoring: Dealing with individuals in terms of their total
personality in order to advise, counsel, and/or guide them with regard to
problems that may be resolved by legal, scientific, clinical, spiritual,
and/or other professional principles.
1 Negotiating: Exchanging ideas, information, and opinions with
others to formulate policies and programs and/or arrive jointly at decisions,
conclusions, or solutions.
2 Instructing: Teaching subject matter to others, or training
others (including animals) through explanation, demonstration, and supervised
practice; or making recommendations on the basis of technical disciplines.
3 Supervising: Determining or interpreting work procedures for a
group of workers, assigning specific duties to them, maintaining harmonious
relations among them, and promoting efficiency. A variety of responsibilities
is involved in this function.
4 Diverting: Amusing others, usually through the medium of stage,
screen, television, or radio.
5 Persuading: Influencing others in favor of a product, service,
or point of view.
6 Speaking-Signaling: Talking with and/or signaling people to
convey or exchange information. Includes giving assignments and/or directions
to helpers or assistants.
7 Serving: Attending to the needs or requests of people or animals
or the expressed or implicit wishes of people. Immediate response is
involved.
8 Taking Instructions-Helping: Attending to the work assignment
instructions or orders of supervisor. (No immediate response required unless
clarification of instructions or orders is needed.) Helping applies to
"non-learning" helpers.
THINGS: Inanimate objects as distinguished from human beings,
substances or materials; and machines, tools, equipment, work aids, and
products. A thing is tangible and has shape, form, and other physical
characteristics.
0 Setting Up: Preparing machines (or equipment) for operation by
planning order of successive machine operations, installing and adjusting
tools and other machine components, adjusting the position of workpiece or
material, setting controls, and verifying accuracy of machine capabilities,
properties of materials, and shop practices. Uses tools, equipment, and work
aids, such as precision gauges and measuring instruments. Workers who set up
one or a number of machines for other workers or who set up and personally
operate a variety of machines are included here.
1 Precision Working: Using body members and/or tools or work aids
to work, move, guide, or place objects or materials in situations where
ultimate responsibility for the attainment of standards occurs and selection
of appropriate tools, objects, or materials, and the adjustment of the tool to
the task require exercise of considerable judgment.
2 Operating-Controlling: Starting, stopping, controlling, and
adjusting the progress of machines or equipment. Operating machines involves
setting up and adjusting the machine or material(s) as the work progresses.
Controlling involves observing gauges, dials, etc., and turning valves and
other devices to regulate factors such as temperature, pressure, flow of
liquids, speed of pumps, and reactions of materials.
3 Driving-Operating: Starting, stopping, and controlling the
actions of machines or equipment for which a course must be steered or which
must be guided to control the movement of things or people for a variety of
purposes. Involves such activities as observing gauges and dials, estimating
distances and determining speed and direction of other objects, turning cranks
and wheels, and pushing or pulling gear lifts or levers. Includes such
machines as cranes, conveyor systems, tractors, furnace-charging machines,
paving machines, and hoisting machines. Excludes manually powered machines,
such as handtrucks and dollies, and power-assisted machines, such as electric
wheelbarrows and handtrucks.
4 Manipulating: Using body members, tools, or special devices to
work, move, guide, or place objects or materials. Involves some latitude for
judgment with regard to precision attained and selecting appropriate tool,
object, or material, although this is readily manifest.
5 Tending: Starting, stopping, and observing the functioning of
machines and equipment. Involves adjusting materials or controls of the
machine, such as changing guides, adjusting timers and temperature gauges,
turning valves to allow flow of materials, and flipping switches in response
to lights. Little judgment is involved in making these adjustments.
6 Feeding-Offbearing: Inserting, throwing, dumping, or placing
materials in or removing them from machines or equipment which are automatic
or tended or operated by other workers.
7 Handling: Using body members, handtools, and/or special devices
to work, move, or carry objects or materials. Involves little or no latitude
for judgment with regard to attainment of standards or in selecting
appropriate tool, object, or materials.