Standards Research Guide
The Ryerson Library has a small incomplete
collection of standards and specifications. While there are few
paper copies most are available either through websites or by
purchasing them from some of the agencies listed below.
Copyright
laws apply to standards and the copying of entire standards
is illegal without prior permission which is unlikely to
be granted.
Searching for Standards
Standards are detailed instructions about how something is to
be manufactured, managed, designed, or otherwise handled. The term "standard" is
sometimes used interchangeably with the term "specification," although
a specification is usually limited to ascertain application whereas
a standard has broader, more universal application and often repetitive
processes. Standards are usually written by an authoritative body
such as a professional organization, a government agency, or a
manufacturer. The IEEE, for example, publishes electronic and electrical
engineering standards.
In order to locate a standard you should (ideally)
have the following:
- The name of the publishing organization
(e.g., IEEE, SAE, ASME)
- The standard number
- The title
- The date of the standard
- The subject
There are indexes you can use to help you identify
the standard or specification you need by either number, if you
have that information, or by subject, if you do not.
- In the Ryerson Library, the comprehensive
index, in print, for this purpose is the Index and Directory
of Industry Standards: National and International. T59.2.U6 I5 1989-90, v. 1-4.
- Since the American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) adopts many of the industry standards developed by such
organizations as IEEE checking their site online,
can be helpful in turning up references to relevant standards
by keyword as well as by standard number.
- Other specialized indexes exist for military
standards, federal standards, foreign national standards, etc.
These indexes are identified and cited in the respective sections
below and hypertext links provided in those cases where a web
version of the index is available.
Canadian Standards
The Ryerson Library receives some standards,
test methods, and specifications published by the Canadian General
Standards Board (CGSB). For an index to this collection use the
Canadian General Standards Board. CGSB catalogue. Reference (2nd Floor) TA368 .C263 2003 or access through
the CGSB
Electronic Catalogue (updated quarterly). The index lists
current standards, test methods, and specifications by standard
number as well as by subject. Cross references for any Canadian
standard that has dual designation with other standards, including
ASTM, ISO, and ANSI, are included.
Also Available
CGSB catalogue of standards applicable to the national master
specification for building construction. TH425 .C48 1982
Canadian General Standards Board. CGSB specification. TA368.C265 32.163M
United States Standards
ASHRA Handbooks: Fundamentals available on CDROM (2nd floor AV Collection) TH7225.A84 1998,
HVAC Applications TH7225.H488 1995, AC Systems and Equipment TH7223.A517 1996, and
Refrigeration TP492.A75 1998 - Lists codes and standards relating to air-conditioning,
heating, refrigeration, and ventilation materials, equipment,
systems, and applications developed by the American Society
of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-conditioning Engineers.
Editions of the ASHRAE handbooks are either in the stacks or
on CDROM. Additional information is available on the ASHRAE
Standards Online web page, including access to a subject/numeric index
and a numerical listing of all ASHRAE standards.
Ryerson collects a limited number of standards
developed or adopted by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
They can be found under ANSI in the catalogue or by the name
of the standard. ANSI Online offers online access to information
on ANSI and on national and international standards-related activities.
The ANSI-ISO-IEC Catalog is
a searchable database of the more than 11,000 approved American
National Standards.
Search for ANSI standards, as well as other U.S. private sector standards bodies, government agencies and international organizations, use NSSN: A National Resource for Global Standards
NISO Standards
The National Information Standards Organization (NISO)
develops and promotes technical standards used in information services,
libraries, and publishing, such as NISO/ANSI/ISO 12083, Electronic
Manuscript Preparation and Markup, and ANSI/NISO Z39.5 0. The website
is located at http://www.niso.org/
UL Standards
Ryerson does not collect Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
standards. The Underwriters Laboratories
Web Site offers access to the UL Catalog of Standards,
which provides a numerical listing as well as an alphabetical
listing by keyword of its published and proposed standards.
- Methods and Guidance for Analysis of
Water - To review a list of current EPA methods for the
analysis of water, see the Index to EPA Test Methods on the
web.
United States Federal Standards,
Specifications, and Test Methods
The Ryerson Library does not collect United
States Federal Standards. Browsable alphabetical and numeric
listings of US Federal standards and specifications and commercial
item descriptions are available through the US General Services
Administration (GSA) publications website.
US Military Standards and
Specifications
Ryerson does not collect military standards
and specifications. An index is available on the DTIC web site
as DODSSP Online. This online
index provides access to information on unclassified military
specifications, standards, and related standardization documents,
and those non-government standards adopted for DoD use. The full-text
of many DOD Specifications and Standards is now available to
the public free-of-charge through the Department of Defense's ASSIST
Online site. Included are over 100,000 document images in
PDF format.
Other US Government Agency Standards
- DOE - Department of Energy Building Energy Codes Program (BECP). The DOE provides information
on energy codes and standards for buildings including the
full text of certain standards on its BECP webpage.
- NIST - National Institute of Standards & Technology. Federal
Information Processing Standards (FIPS) were developed
by NIST for federal computer systems. From the FIPS Home Page you can browse
the FIPS standards by category (hardware and software standards,
data standards, computer security standards, and telecommunications
standards) and by standard number, or search the FIPS standards
catalog by keyword.
Other Foreign National Standards
- Deutches Institut fur Normung (DIN) Standards. The
publishing company Beuth Verlag in Berlin provides access to
their catalog
of DIN standards on the web. You can search by keyword
or by DIN standard number. The pull-down menu will show you
the price for the German standard as well as for the English
translation, if one is available.
- Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS). The JIS Committee Home Page provides information
on the development and marketing of JIS standards.
For links to Internet sites with information
on the standards and standardization activities of other foreign
countries, link to the World
Standards Services Network.
International Standards
- ISO -
International Organization for Standardization. ISO Online provides access to an online
catalog of ISO standards which can be searched by title
word and by standard number. Ordering information is also provided.
ISO standards can also be ordered through ANSI.
- ITU - International Telecommunications
Union. The ITU is an international organization within
which governments and the private sector coordinate global
telecom networks and services, including the coordination,
development, regulation and standardization of telecommunications
worldwide. Ryerson does not collect ITU standards. The ITU
World Wide Web Site provides information on the standardization
activities of the ITU.
The ISO also provides information on other International Standards
Organizations.
ISO 9000 Quality Standards
The International Organization for Standardization
(ISO) 9000 series has been adopted by countries worldwide, including
the US and Canada, as the national standard for quality assurance
and quality control. Please note that in the US the ISO 9000 series
has been issued by the American Society for Quality Control as
ASQC Q90 - Q94. The Ryerson Library has some books on implementing
ISO 9000. To locate these books, do a keyword search in the Ryerson
Library Catalogue using the term "iso". Additional information
on the ISO 9000 Quality Series can be obtained on the World Wide
Web from the ISO 9000 News Service.
Internet Meta-Sites for Standards
Information
Commercial Documentary Delivery Services
- Document Center -
Commercial document delivery service for government and industry
standards and specifications. The online catalog can be searched,
for free, by keyword or standard number. Standards and specifications
listed in the catalog can be ordered online for a fee.
- Document Engineering
Co., Inc. - Although currently closed , this commercial
document delivery service for US industry standards, government
specifications and standards, and foreign and international standards
has some useful links.
- IHS/Global Engineering
Documents - Global Engineering Documents is a commercial
clearinghouse for current and historical engineering specifications,
standards, and technical documents from 400 standards-developing
organizations worldwide, including ISO and JIS, for example.
Through Global's Web site, you can search the company's database
of available standards by standard number or title keyword, and
order standards online.
- IHS (Information
Handling Services) Web Server - Access, for a fee, to
full text standards including all US military specs and standards
as well as information on standards from more than 50 standards
developing organizations, many of which include scanned images
of the actual documents.
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