Advantage: Dichotomous keys are very useful because they allow non-expert users to identify organisms by directing them to look at the known, important organisms. Disadvantage: Disadvantage of dichotomous keys is that if a single wrong decision is made at any juncture, a wrong identification will result. Sometimes it becomes obvious that an error has been made, and you can retrace your steps until you get back on the right track, but this is not always the case
