Editing Checklist (section)

{{other uses}}
{{short description|Aide-memoire to ensure consistency and completeness in carrying out a task }}
[[File:Man_checklist.jpg|300px|thumb|upright|Checklists are useful for displaying main points.]]
A''' checklist''' is a type of job aid used in repetitive tasks to reduce failure by compensating for potential limits of human memory and attention. Checklists are used both to ensure that safety-critical system preparations are carried out completely and in the correct order,<ref name="Higgins and Boorman 2016" /> and in less critical applications to ensure that no step is left out of a procedure. They help to ensure consistency and completeness in carrying out a task. A basic example is the "[[To-do list|to do list]]".<ref name="Alexpuscasu 2014" /> A more advanced checklist would be a [[schedule]], which lays out tasks to be done according to time of day or other factors, or a pre-flight checklist for an airliner, which should ensure a safe take-off.<ref name="Degani and Wiener 1990" /> 

A primary function of a checklist is documentation of the task and [[Audit|auditing]] against the documentation.<ref name="Cambridge" /> Use of a well designed checklist can reduce any tendency to avoid, omit or neglect important steps in any task.<ref name="Ranapurwala 2014" /> For efficiency and acceptance, the checklist should easily readable, include only necessary checks, and be as short as reasonably practicable.<ref name="CAA" />