Douglas D. Schumann Library & Learning Commons: Engineering Standards: What Is a Standard?

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What Is a Standard?

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) defines a standard as:

"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 the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context."

IEEE: Developing Standards
Describes the process by which standards are developed, approved, revised, and withdrawn from use.

Why Use Standards?

ANSI: United States Standards Strategy
The latest edition, approved in 2005, recognizes globalization and the need for standards designed to meet stakeholder needs irrespective of national borders.
ANSI Standardization Case Studies
Demonstrates how standards were used to solve problems in a variety of disciplines.
Standardization in History: A Review Essay with an Eye to the Future
In this article, Dr. Andrew L. Russell of Johns Hopkins University, examines the history of standardization and its impact upon society.