There's skimming, usually with flat edge boards, and which covers everything. Then there's spackling, usually with taper edge boards, which just covers the joints and fills up the tapers to be flush with the rest of the boards. I've just created some new rooms in a rental house I own in the French Alps, and here you can order whatever length plasterboard sheets you need from floor to ceiling ... 2.7m in my case. Imagine having to do that with 2.4m boards like in the UK! For the ceilings I used 2.4m boards but tapered on all four edges, so I was able to get away with spackling and not needing skimming. Just as well, as I am ok at spackling, but suck at skimming!
I have done this myself when I created a soundproofing wall in my bedroom; I only taped and skimmed the edges (used tapered edge pb), then basically painted the plasterboard paper; it looks good but it is marked very easily marked even with a fingernail
I know nothing about this subject, but as a spark i much prefer dot and dab because I don't have to sink any boxes. You've got to look after the electrician
I personally don’t have a problem fitting a kitchen to dot and dab. All the pros and cons mentioned except perhaps drying times. Can take a good few weeks for float and set to dry out and that can be an issue for some.