Methodology of presentation

It is our objective here to produce a text which accelerates this process of learning, and enhances it by trying to transfer some of the author s own experience and retrospective analysis of successes and failures. Surely the process of learning by experience can be accelerated, and some of the pain reduced. 

Turning to the basics of the format of presentation, in an endeavour to provide a text that can be useful for on-the-job reference, the general mechanism employed is the checklist. Wherever possible, the text has been formatted into bullets, which are intended to provide a structured approach to the common practical situations, by helping the engineer both to plan his approach and to check that he is addressing all essential facets. 

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