Talk:Protocol (natural sciences)

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I plan to start updating this page soon. Some of the issues that need addressed is are the various goals and purpose of scientific protocals. These fall into various categories;:

  • Safety
  • Equipment
  • Bias
  • Reporting

These can include subcategories like the role of statistics and sample size, predefining exclusion data etc. How the Scientific method plays a major role and the limitations of applicability in some sciences. The abuses resulting from improper protocals. This is not a complete list. If you have any ideas I would love to hear about it. I will be working out the framework before updating the page.

It has occurred to me that either this page should be Scientific protocal or Scientific protocal should redirect here since most people seaching will more likely find it that way. Any input?

Link notes;

--My wan 05:02, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

First 2 paragraphs updated. Better reflects the entire feild of natural sciences.
--My wan 08:30, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Got the basic outline done. In need of references. May have gotten carried away with too much in "See Also" section. Will begin listing pages for trackbacks soon.
--My wan 23:23, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Firstly, My wan, it is excellent that you have expanded this entry.

When I started it, I really wanted to try to clarify the differences between methods, protocols and standard operating procedures. Especially the latter two. In my mind, and in that of a large proportion of the scientific community, a protocol is more open to being adapted or changed than a standard operating procedure. A protocol being closer to what a research scientist would use (a starting point with the understanding that it would be optimised for the specicific question that the researcher would want to answer), and an SOP being closer to what an analyst at a pharmaceutical company would use - the latter being more tightly regulated and needing to be followed absolutely exactly.

I am also not really sure what you mean about an SOP being incorporated into a protocol. I wonder if you could clarify this for my benefit here, and perhaps consider clarifying in the main text. --Bdekker 17:10, 10 March 2007

A standard operating procedure is not written specifically enough for some activities but the proceedures in it may be required in some cases.

--My wan 09:08, 19 March 2007 (UTC)