Standard

Resume
Identification
Standard
Definition (1)
Source
ISO Web
Description
"Standards are documented agreements containing technical specifications or other precise criteria to be used consistently as rules, guidelines, or definitions of characteristics, to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose".
Definition (2)
Source
ISO Guide 2: Standardization and related activities - General vocabulary (2004)
Description
"Document, established by consensus and approved by a recognized body, that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context."
NOTE: Standards should be based on the consolidated results of science, technology and experience, and aimed at the promotion of optimum community benefits.
Definition (3)
Source
European Directive 98/34/EC
Description
"Standard is a technical specification approved by a recognised standardisation body for repeated or continuous application, with which compliance is not compulsory and which is one of the following:

international standard: a standard adopted by an international standardisation organisation and made available to the public,
European standard: a standard adopted by a European standardisation body and made available to the public,
national standard: a standard adopted by a national standardisation body and made available to the public. "

Definition (4)
Source
CEN Web
Description
"A standard (French: Norme, German: Norm) is a technical document designed to be used as a rule, guideline or definition. It is a consensus-built, repeatable way of doing something."
Standards are created by bringing together all interested parties such as manufacturers, consumers and regulators of a particular material, product, process or service. All parties benefit from standardization through increased product safety and quality as well as lower transaction costs and prices.
Definition (5)
Source
CEN EN 45020:1998, 3.2
Description
Document, established by consensus and approved by a recognized body, that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context.
Definition (6)
Source
NORMAPME
Description
"A standard is an agreement between the parties involved, such as manufacturers, sellers, purchasers, users and regulators of a particular product, process or service".
It contains a technical specification or other precise criteria designed to be used consistently as a rule, guideline, or definition.
Its adoption ensures to all operators a clear reference in terms of technical specifications, quality, performance and reliability. Its objective is to ensure that products and services are suitable for their purpose and they are comparable and compatible.
Standards are a summary of best practice. Their creation arises from the experience and expertise of all interested parties and they are drawn up to meet the demands of society and technology .
Any standard is the result of a collective work that involves national standardisation bodies, producers, users, research organisations, and consumers.
Definition (7)
Source
Henk de Vries, 1999. Standards for the Nation: Analysis of National Standardization Organizations. Kluver Academic Publishers, 1999.
Description
"Aproved specification of a limited set of solutions to actual or potential matching problems, prepared for the benefit of the party or parties involved, balancing their needs, and intended and expected to be used repeatedly or constinuously, during a certain period, by a substantial number of parties from whom they are meant".
Definition (8)
Source
Standards Engineer Arena
Description
"A standard is an established norm or requirement. It is usually a formal document that establishes an explicit set of specifications (technical criteria, methods, processes and practices) for an item, material, component, product, system or service".
Related names to standards
Names
A:

Anticipatory Standards

B:

Basic Standard
Behavior Standard

C:

Company Standard
Compatibility Standard
Conflicting national standard
Consortium Standard

D:

De Facto Standard
De Jure Standard

E:

European Standard

F:

Factual Standard

G:

Governmental Standard

H:

Harmonised Standard
Historical Standard
Horizontal Standard

I:

Interference Standard
International Standard

L:

Licensed Standard

M:

Measurement Standard

N:

National Standard
Non-public Standard

O:

Open Standard

P:

Participatory Standards
Performance Standard
Process Standard
Product Standard
Public Standard

Q:

Quality Standard

R:

Regional Standard
Requiring Standard
Responsive Standards

S:

Sectoral Standard
Solution-describing Standard

T:

Terminology Standard
Testing Standard

V:

Vertical Standard

Related Information
See also

Standardisation,
Service Standard,
CE Marking,
Keymark.

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Resume
Identification	Standard
Definition (1)
Source	ISO Web
Description	"Standards are documented agreements containing technical specifications or other precise criteria to be used consistently as rules, guidelines, or definitions of characteristics, to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose".
Definition (2)
Source	ISO Guide 2: Standardization and related activities - General vocabulary (2004)
Description	"Document, established by consensus and approved by a recognized body, that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context." NOTE: Standards should be based on the consolidated results of science, technology and experience, and aimed at the promotion of optimum community benefits.
Definition (3)
Source	European Directive 98/34/EC
Description	"Standard is a technical specification approved by a recognised standardisation body for repeated or continuous application, with which compliance is not compulsory and which is one of the following: international standard: a standard adopted by an international standardisation organisation and made available to the public, European standard: a standard adopted by a European standardisation body and made available to the public, national standard: a standard adopted by a national standardisation body and made available to the public. "
Definition (4)
Source	CEN Web
Description	"A standard (French: Norme, German: Norm) is a technical document designed to be used as a rule, guideline or definition. It is a consensus-built, repeatable way of doing something." Standards are created by bringing together all interested parties such as manufacturers, consumers and regulators of a particular material, product, process or service. All parties benefit from standardization through increased product safety and quality as well as lower transaction costs and prices.
Definition (5)
Source	CEN EN 45020:1998, 3.2
Description	Document, established by consensus and approved by a recognized body, that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context.
Definition (6)
Source	NORMAPME
Description	"A standard is an agreement between the parties involved, such as manufacturers, sellers, purchasers, users and regulators of a particular product, process or service". It contains a technical specification or other precise criteria designed to be used consistently as a rule, guideline, or definition. Its adoption ensures to all operators a clear reference in terms of technical specifications, quality, performance and reliability. Its objective is to ensure that products and services are suitable for their purpose and they are comparable and compatible. Standards are a summary of best practice. Their creation arises from the experience and expertise of all interested parties and they are drawn up to meet the demands of society and technology . Any standard is the result of a collective work that involves national standardisation bodies, producers, users, research organisations, and consumers.
Definition (7)
Source	Henk de Vries, 1999. Standards for the Nation: Analysis of National Standardization Organizations. Kluver Academic Publishers, 1999.
Description	"Aproved specification of a limited set of solutions to actual or potential matching problems, prepared for the benefit of the party or parties involved, balancing their needs, and intended and expected to be used repeatedly or constinuously, during a certain period, by a substantial number of parties from whom they are meant".
Definition (8)
Source	Standards Engineer Arena
Description	"A standard is an established norm or requirement. It is usually a formal document that establishes an explicit set of specifications (technical criteria, methods, processes and practices) for an item, material, component, product, system or service".
Related names to standards
Names	A: Anticipatory Standards B: Basic Standard Behavior Standard C: Company Standard Compatibility Standard Conflicting national standard Consortium Standard D: De Facto Standard De Jure Standard E: European Standard F: Factual Standard G: Governmental Standard H: Harmonised Standard Historical Standard Horizontal Standard I: Interference Standard International Standard L: Licensed Standard M: Measurement Standard N: National Standard Non-public Standard O: Open Standard P: Participatory Standards Performance Standard Process Standard Product Standard Public Standard Q: Quality Standard R: Regional Standard Requiring Standard Responsive Standards S: Sectoral Standard Solution-describing Standard T: Terminology Standard Testing Standard V: Vertical Standard
Related Information
See also	Standardisation, Service Standard, CE Marking, Keymark.

Standard Dimensions:

Dimension 1:
Level Dimension 2:
Purpose Dimension 3:
Effect Dimension 4:
Sponsor Dimension 5:
Stage
Individual Simplification Constructive Devoid Missing
Organisational Communication Positive Nonsponsored Emerging
Associational Harmonisation Unknown Unisponsored Existing
National Protection Negative Multisponsored Declining
Multinational Valuation Destructive Mandated Dying

Dimension 1: Level	Dimension 2: Purpose	Dimension 3: Effect	Dimension 4: Sponsor	Dimension 5: Stage
Individual	Simplification	Constructive	Devoid	Missing
Organisational	Communication	Positive	Nonsponsored	Emerging
Associational	Harmonisation	Unknown	Unisponsored	Existing
National	Protection	Negative	Multisponsored	Declining
Multinational	Valuation	Destructive	Mandated	Dying

From: /Sivan, 2000/ Knowledge Age Standards: A Brief Introduction to Their Dimensions:

Governance Mechanisms of Standard-Making

It is possible to focus on a relationship between the governance mechanisms and standards while abstracted from each sector's industrial configuration. In the information technology industry, five distinctive governance mechanisms on standardisation have been identified, the state, community, association, network, and market. Each governance mechanisms has its own principles in solving the conflict between collective and private interests.

The market mechanism is guided by the principle of competition in the context of maximisation of self-interest. The guiding principle of the network mechanism is voluntary cooperation in the market; organised consensus is the guiding principle of the association mechanism. The state's coordinating capacity is based on its legitimate coercion in the industry. And, the community exercises its coordination effects in the industry with voluntary contributions based on openess.

Governance mode Mechanisms Property Relations of Technology Standards Outcome
The state Coercive impose Public good Regulatory standards
Community Normative impose based on voluntary contribution Public good Voluntary standards
Association Pragmatic consensus Industry quasi-public good Formal standards
Network Self-interest agreement Proprietary technology Anticipatory standards
Market Self-interest non-agreement Proprietary technology De facto standards
From Choh, 1999a/ Governance Mechanisms of Standard-Making in the Information Technology

Governance mode	Mechanisms	Property Relations of Technology	Standards Outcome
The state	Coercive impose	Public good	Regulatory standards
Community	Normative impose based on voluntary contribution	Public good	Voluntary standards
Association	Pragmatic consensus	Industry quasi-public good	Formal standards
Network	Self-interest agreement	Proprietary technology	Anticipatory standards
Market	Self-interest non-agreement	Proprietary technology	De facto standards

Standard Analysis:

Source Platform Level of Consensus Openness, Transparency, Procedures Motivation of Members Time/ Effort Deliverable
single companies
(MS; SUN,...) the company closed, internal rules homogeneous low proprietary specification
consortia
(W3C; ECMA,...) members (companies) open for paying members (companies), published rules homogeneous low specification (standard)
Association
(IEEE; VDE,...) members (individual experts) open for paying members (individuals), published rules more or less homogeneous medium specification standard
Standard bodies
(IISI; CEN, DIN) all interested parties, public, delegation principle open for all interested parties, publicly accepted and published rules, consensus-based process in-homogeneous, diffuse high Norm, formal standard
Internet
(IETF) all interested individuals with internet access open for the internet community, published rules more or less homogeneous low specification standard

Source Platform	Level of Consensus	Openness, Transparency, Procedures	Motivation of Members	Time/ Effort	Deliverable
single companies (MS; SUN,...)	the company	closed, internal rules	homogeneous	low	proprietary specification
consortia (W3C; ECMA,...)	members (companies)	open for paying members (companies), published rules	homogeneous	low	specification (standard)
Association (IEEE; VDE,...)	members (individual experts)	open for paying members (individuals), published rules	more or less homogeneous	medium	specification standard
Standard bodies (IISI; CEN, DIN)	all interested parties, public, delegation principle	open for all interested parties, publicly accepted and published rules, consensus-based process	in-homogeneous, diffuse	high	Norm, formal standard
Internet (IETF)	all interested individuals with internet access	open for the internet community, published rules	more or less homogeneous	low	specification standard

From /Wende, 1999/ Experiences and Positions of the DIN IT Standards Committee