A lot of protocols are written in recipe format: a list of steps, and maybe a list of reagents. A lot of individual steps are actually compound, and there are extra steps that are useful and important but not written (ie check if you’re low on reagent X and order more if so).
It’s easy to lose your place in the protocol (did I add buffer Y already?), to skip implicit steps (did I already mix the buffer in?), or to leave things out (ie the middle bit in a single instruction). You can add check boxes to such a protocol, but it’s easy not to think of that.
I’m interested in hearing more about almost-a-checklist protocols and what’s up with them.
A lot of protocols are written in recipe format: a list of steps, and maybe a list of reagents. A lot of individual steps are actually compound, and there are extra steps that are useful and important but not written (ie check if you’re low on reagent X and order more if so).
It’s easy to lose your place in the protocol (did I add buffer Y already?), to skip implicit steps (did I already mix the buffer in?), or to leave things out (ie the middle bit in a single instruction). You can add check boxes to such a protocol, but it’s easy not to think of that.