A checklist is used as an aid to memory. It helps to ensure consistency and completeness in carrying out a task. A basic example is the "to do list." A more advanced checklist would be a schedule, which lays out tasks to be done according to time of day or other factors.

Applications

• a popular tool for tracking sports card collections. Randomly inserted in packs, checklist cards provide information on the contents of sports card set.
• a tool that is used as a human factors aid in aviation safety to ensure that a long list of items are not forgotten.
• use in medical practice to ensure that clinical practice guidelines are followed.
• used in quality assurance of software engineering, to check process compliance, code standardization and error prevention, and others.
• often used in industry in operations procedures.
• can aid in mitigating claims of negligence in public liability claims by providing evidence of a risk management system being in place.
• an ornithological checklist, a list of birds with standardized names that helps ornithologists communicate with the public without the use of scientific names in Latin.

Format

Checklists are presented as lists with small checkboxes down the left hand side of the page. A small tick or checkmark is drawn in the box after the item has been completed.