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Standards

Databases for Identifying Standards (freely searchable)

This section provides links to databases that are tools for searching standards from a variety of organizations. Select information, such as a summary of a standard and document history, can be viewed freely. However, individuals typically must purchase full-text access to standards from these databases. The aggregators often sell access to a premium search interface with more capabilities than their freely accessible tools.

Step 1: Use the following free resources (listed below) to identify standards of interest:

Tip to improve your results:

  • Consider synonyms - e.g. "life jacket" could be referred to as a "life preserver" or "personal flotation device" 
  • Focus your search by first identifying a Standards Issuing Body that is likely to create standards for your area of interest (e.g. Search for ASTM standards if you are looking for "testing" standards, search SAE standards if your topic has automotive or aerospace applications, etc). 
  • Use parentheses to search key terms as a phrase, rather than independent keywords (e.g. "life preserver" instead of life preserver)

Step 2: Use the resources in the "Searching for a Specific Standard" menu to search for the full text of your standard(s)