Standards, also called procedures, rules, codes, etc., are developed by professional groups, governments, and standards organizations to define procedures, product design elements, quality levels, etc. Standards are important because they ensure:
- compatibility of products,
- product safety,
- consumers and worker safety, and
- consistency in the processes used in a specific profession.
Standards may also specify/clarify terminology, competence, or other requirements for a profession or group.
Engineering Standards are technical specifications stipulating product characteristics such as size, quality, performance, or safety. They may specify methodologies for the composition and testing of materials or the communication of digital information. Engineering standards are developed by many different standards groups (ANSI, IEC, ISO, NISO, NIST) and professional societies (ASTM, ASTM, ASCE, ASME, IEEE, ITU).
To find out if the Mason Libraries own a standard, search the standard title (in quotes) using the search on the first page of this guide. If Mason doesn't have the standard you need, please send your request to the Engineering librarian at tcalcagn@gmu.edu. Please note that standards can take a month or more to receive.
Find IEEE Standards
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