A Scientist's Viewpoint Human and system failures occur in the laboratory, too. The consequences include having to throw away hundreds, even thousands, of dollars of chemicals and materials. Days, sometimes weeks, of work can be lost. Once I spent six months doing the same experiment over and over again because I didn't always perform it perfectly and I needed to repeat it many times error-free to get a substantial data set. Still, in science unlike medicine, there is no shame in performing a task using a written procedure.
Scientists often follow protocols just as a cook follows a recipe.
At first we use the notes, but with time, we rely on our memory to guide us through the experiment. The Committee on Quality of Health Care in America suggests health care professionals should utilize written protocols more frequently. Though repetition can prevent errors, it can also promote them. If just one variable is different than usual and we are working absentmindedly, we may slip and forget to accommodate the difference. In other words, protocols are helpful, but should not be relied on blindly.