This is an overview of the development timeline for many Public Lab tools and techniques. Not all Public Lab tools follow this exact sequence, but this reflects some common steps in the development of a new environmental monitoring technique. 

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We may mark tools like the [spectrometer](/wiki/spectrometer) or [WheeStat](/wiki/wheestat) with notices like:

<div class="alert">This tool is a <a href="/wiki/tool-development">prototype</a>; it is still under development by people like you</div>

<div class="alert alert-success">This tool has been <a href="/wiki/tool-development">thoroughly tested in the field</a>.</div>

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##Why do we develop new techniques?

Why don't we just use well-established techniques to collect data and do research?

_accessibility/affordability issues, also invitation to critique existing monitoring techniques, to deconstruct "expert"/participant boundaries... etc_

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_something about different orders in which this might happen_ 

_some suggested major or minor milestones:_

###Problem definition

###Team building

###Background research

###Prototype

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Initial post-it brainstorm of the history tag:

[![tool-dev-ladder.jpg](https://i.publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/008/297/medium/tool-dev-ladder.jpg)](https://i.publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/008/297/original/tool-dev-ladder.jpg)



[https://flic.kr/p/bD3Gi7](https://flic.kr/p/bD3Gi7)