Protocol may refer to:

Sociology and politics

Protocol (politics) Protocol originally (in Late Middle English, c. 15th century) meant the minutes or logbook taken at a meeting, upon which an agreement was based. The term now commonly refers to an agreement resulting from a meeting, or more generally to any establi ...

, a formal agreement between nation states * Protocol (diplomacy), the etiquette of diplomacy and affairs of state * Etiquette, a code of personal behavior

Science and technology

Protocol (science) In natural and social science research, a protocol is most commonly a predefined procedural method in the design and implementation of an experiment. Protocols are written whenever it is desirable to standardize a laboratory method to ensure succe ...

, a predefined written procedural method of conducting experiments * Medical protocol (disambiguation)

Computing

Protocol (object-oriented programming) In object-oriented programming, an interface or protocol type is a data type describing a set of method signatures, the implementations of which may be provided by multiple classes that are otherwise not necessarily related to each other. A class ...

, a common means for unrelated objects to communicate with each other (sometimes also called ''interfaces'') *

Communication protocol A communication protocol is a system of rules that allows two or more entities of a communications system to transmit information via any kind of variation of a physical quantity. The protocol defines the rules, syntax, semantics and synchroniza ...

, a defined set of rules and regulations that determine how data is transmitted in telecommunications and computer networking **

Cryptographic protocol A security protocol (cryptographic protocol or encryption protocol) is an abstract or concrete protocol that performs a security-related function and applies cryptographic methods, often as sequences of cryptographic primitives. A protocol descr ...

, a protocol for encrypting messages *

Decentralized network protocol Decentralized computing is the allocation of resources, both hardware and software, to each individual workstation, or office location. In contrast, centralized computing exists when the majority of functions are carried out, or obtained from a ...

, a protocol for operation of an open source

peer-to-peer Peer-to-peer (P2P) computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads between peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the network. They are said to form a peer-to-peer ...

network where no single entity nor colluding group controls a majority of the network nodes

Music

* ''Protocol'' (album), by Simon Phillips *

Protocol (band) Protocol were a British pop group, who were formed in 2005. They were produced by Mike Peden. They consisted of: * John Pritchard, lead vocals * James McMaster, guitar * Steven Oates, bass * David Malik, keyboards/ synthesizers * Dominic J ...

, a British band * "Protocol", a song by Gordon Lightfoot from the album '' Summertime Dream'' * "Protocol", a song by the Vamps from their 2020 album '' Cherry Blossom''

Other uses

* ''Protocol'' (film), a 1984 comedy film *

Protocol (website) ''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and intern ...

, an offshoot of Politico * Minutes, also known as protocols, the written record of a meeting * Protocol, a news website owned by Capitol News Company

Sociology and politics

Science and technology

Computing

Music

Other uses

See also