Abstract
"Standardization: an activity giving solutions for repet itive application to problems essentially in the spheres of science, technology and economics, aimed at the optimum degree of order in a given context. Generally the activity consists of the processes of formulating, issuing and implementing standards." [ 1 ]
Standardization seeks to avoid repetitive solutions of the same problem and to aid simplification, communication, economy, safety and health, consumer protection and the elimination of trade barriers. The standard as a document has much in common with the technical regulation and shares certain features with patents and legislation.
Users need information about standards in order to apply them, or as a basis for new standards or because they are affected by their results. Together these groups of user represent, directly or indirectly, the whole community.
Standardization takes place at national, regional and inter national levels. The organizational structure is complex, differ ing from country to country. ISO is the specialized inter national agency for standardization with a coordinating role. ISO has a member in each of 87 countries and liaisons with 300 other international organizations. International Stand ards result from the work of 163 ISO technical committees.
ISONET links national and international standards information centres to make information on standards and technical regulations universally available. GATT is encourag ing similar measures. International and foreign standards are readily available for reference or purchase in most countries. Many documentary and institutional aids exist for informa tion about, or related to standards.
Special standards for terminology, documentation, data processing and some others are of particular interest since they aid the processing of information.
Keywords
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.