[NHCOLL-L:797] "best practice"

[Cato]

"Best practice" is a term that has become popular recently -- and it
surfaced during committee meeting discussions at the SPNHC annual meeting.
But where does it fit in the spectrum of recommended practices and
protocols?

How does the term differ from terms already in use including:  standards,
guidelines, procedures, protocols, policies?  Or does it have the same
meaning as one or more of these?

Does it imply some level of review has taken place?

If you received a publication entitled, "Best Practices for mounting
vascular plants" and one entitled, "Guidelines for mounting vascular
plants", how would your expectations for the contents of the pub differ? or
would you expect to see the same information?


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The following definitions have been previously published in conservation and
collection management literature & are provided for comparison:

guideline - formalization presented by a technical society or governmental
agency as basis for voluntary adherence as the basis for acceptance of work
product; requires additional thought and evaluation by the practitioner to
implement on single project work.

policy - broad statement outlining the intent of the institution with
respect to one or more of its objectives, as adopted by the board.  Once a
policy is adopted by the board a formal amendment procedure is followed to
change it.  A governing principle; a framework for carrying out work; a
definition of what is to be done

procedure - a statement of how a governing principle will be implemented;
rules and regulations applied to a framework; a definition of how the policy
is to be carried out.

protocol - the literature in general; whenever the author presents a
formalized means of undertaking and producing accurate and reproducible work
product; generally peer-reviewed but not subject to wide scrutiny or comment
of the profession; requires significant individual thought to adapt to
single-project use by the professional.

protocol - the set of rules by which two or more computers communicate.
Generally applied to modems, protocol also refers to any guidelines by which
a computer communicates with a peripheral device.

standard - a measure, principle, model, etc., established for use as a rule
or basis in comparison in measuring or judging capacity, quantity, content,
extent, value, quantity, etc.

standard - a codification of technology or procedure developed, tested,
peer-reviewed, and published by a professional society or governmental
agency; to be adhered to by members and subscribers; generally must be
followed closely in attention to its prescribed detail.

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Paisley S. Cato
Curator
San Diego Natural History Museum