According to IEEE, "standards are documents that established an agreed upon way of doing something. From expected best practices to technical specifications or requirements, standards help to ensure a common approach and repeatable outcome in the design and development of products, services and technologies." Engineers use a wide variety of standards providing guidance on everything from screw threads to information technology networks.
According to the ISO, "Like a symphony, it takes a lot of people working together to develop a standard. ISO’s role is similar to that of a conductor, while the orchestra is made up of independent technical experts nominated by our members. They begin the process with the development of a draft that meets a market need within a specific area. This is then shared for commenting and further discussion. The voting process is the key to consensus. If that’s achieved then the draft is on its way to becoming an ISO standard. If agreement isn’t reached then the draft will be modified further, and voted on again. From first proposal to final publication, developing a standard usually takes about 3 years."
An engineering-focused database that includes journals, conference proceedings, dissertations, standards, books, and preprints. Content is sourced from publishers from around the world, including major engineering societies such as IEEE, ASME, SAE and ACM.
Read-only access to ASHRAE standards and guidelines (current versions) via their website. ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) publications focus on sustainable technology for the built environment, including building systems, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, refrigeration and sustainability.
NOTE: If accessing from off-campus, use the Chrome browser for best results. Full access to ASTM Standards, ASTM Journals, and Selected Technical Papers. Also contains standards training materials and tools to add notes, images and attachments.
Knovel is an extensive, searchable online library of full-text content, including reference handbooks, conference proceedings and databases. Provides interactive tools such as tables, graphs and an extensive unit conversion tool that allow users to manipulate, analyze, and export data.
Patents are an excellent source of technical information. See patent web guide for more information:
The CEAS Library holds an extensive collection of NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO) Collaborative Support Office (CSO), NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics), and NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) reports. In addition, there are several digital repositories for technical reports, including:
