A protocol is the written plan for a research study or clinical procedure, setting out what will be done, to whom, how and how results will be analysed.
In research, the protocol is written and reviewed by an ethics committee before the study starts. Registering it publicly means researchers can't quietly change what they were looking for after seeing the results.
In clinical work, a protocol is the set process a service follows. An assessment protocol sets out which interviews and questionnaires are used, who reviews the case and how the report is written.
Our ADHD assessments use DIVA-5, a structured diagnostic interview. Our autism assessments use ADI-R, a structured developmental interview. Each case is reviewed by a team of two to three practitioners with psychiatrist approval.