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Citing and Referencing Materials

What are standards, specifications, and codes?

A standard sets out an agreed way of doing something. According to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) definitions outlined in ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004:

• A standard, is a "document established by consensus and approved by a recognized body that provides for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results aimed at achieving the optimum degree of order in a given context.” 
• A code of practice, is a "document that recommends practices or procedures for the design, manufacture, installation, maintenance or utilization of equipment, structures or products."
• A technical specification, is a "document that prescribes technical requirements to be fulfilled by a product, process or service." 

NOTE: A code of practice and technical specification may be a standard, a part of a standard or independent of a standard. 

ISO has identified many benefits to using standards, some of these benefits include:

• Improving Performance
• Reducing Business Risk
• Encouraging Innovation

Click here to learn more about the benefits of standards.

A standard is usually represented by the acronym of the issuing organization followed by a number and the date of issuance.  

Format:

ASTM A615/A615M-22

• ASTM is the organization that developed the standard (example: ASTM International, formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials)
• A615 is a document/standard number
• A is a broad subject category (not always present)
• 22 indicates the year that the standard was approved/published (example: 22 represents 2022). Note: year of publication may not always be present in the standard number.

Examples:

• TTS 171:Part 1:2015
• IEEE Std 519-2014
• ISO 9001:2015
• BS 5656-1 

Some institutions also include language as part of the code e.g. EN; DIN

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As always, you can contact:

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- Randy Siew - Faculty Liaison Librarian - Engineering 

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