Find standards - BME 187 / EE 187 / ME 185: Capstone Design - Rand (Fall 2021/Spring 2022) - UVM Libraries Research Guides at UVM Libraries

Getting started with standards

All SEED teams should investigate the possibility that there are standards that apply to their project. But some teams will conclude there are none. In either case, document your searching.

The recommended strategy for identifying standards is:

(a) Consult with the client

(b) Optional: consult with your faculty mentor

(c) Review the standards agencies listed on this page. If there is a standards agency that specializes in your project's technology, go to its website and browse its standards.

(d) Biomedical projects: search the FDA CDRH Consensus Standards (see link below)

(e) Optional: search Compendex & Inspec, using "standard" as a keyword or Controlled Term

Search: individual organizations

Identify relevant standards agencies for your projects and check the standards information on their websites. For example:

AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials)
Develops standards related to highways and public transportation.
ACI (American Concrete Institute)
ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers)
Develops codes and standards related to all areas of civil engineering.
ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers)
Develops standards related to indoor air quality and energy conservation.
ASTM International
Issues standards pertaining to a wide range of materials, products, systems and test procedures. Another convenient way to browse ASTM standards is the print index of ASTM standards (available at the library Reference desk).
AWWA (American Water Works Association)
Develops standards related to water quality and supply.
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
UVM affiliates have direct access to the full text of IEEE standards via the IEEE Xplore Digital Library.
NFPA (National Fire Protection Association)
Provides free access to NFPA codes and standards. (Requires registration.)
SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers)
The website of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) offers previews of the first 1-3 pages of each of its standards documents.
UL (Underwriters Laboratories)
UL specializes in safety standards, including electrical and fire safety, hazardous substance management, water quality, and food safety.

Search: multiple organizations

ANSI Webstore
The ANSI Webstore indexes a wide range of US, foreign and international standards. It also provides better descriptive information than i2i. Consider searching for standards in the ANSI Webstore, then placing any requests via i2i.

Biomedical projects

FDA Consensus Standards
All teams working on biomedical projects need to search here. A database of "consensus" (ie. voluntary) standards endorsed by the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), which has responsibility for the premarket approval of all medical devices.
TIP: use the "Standards Title or Keywords" field, using broad keywords.

Request: i2i

i2i This link opens in a new window
This resource provides access to technical standards for manufacturing and testing. It covers major national and international standards agencies, including ASTM, IEEE, NISO and SAE. UVM affiliates may look up and request copies of standards, which will be provided subject to library authorization.