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Standards and Codes

Links to standards collections licensed by Ontario Tech, explains how to search for and request standards, and provides a brief introduction to standards.

Some Guidelines

There is no single correct way to cite standards (and most citation styles do not have a category for standards), but it is important to be consistent. Before choosing a style, check to see if your instructor has provided any guidelines or expressed any preference.

The most important thing is to include enough information that anyone reading your citation can go and find the exact document you referenced. Standards can appear in different forms (draft, active, etc.) and the same standard can be issued by different bodies. Make sure you cite the right version.

Most standards citations include:

  • Title
  • Standard number
  • Publisher
  • Date
  • URL

Standards citations may also include:

  • Publisher location
  • Version 

IEEE Citation Style

IEEE Citation Style

From IEEE Reference Guide, p. 15

Basic Format

Title of Standard, Standard number, Corporate author, location, date.
or
Title of Standard, Standard number, date. 

Example

Frequency Response and Bias, NERC Reliability Standard BAL-003-0.1b, May 2009. [Online]. Available: http://www.nerc.com/files/BAL-003-0_1b.pdf

APA Citation Style

From APA Style Blog, How to cite quality standards and guidelines in APA style:

Basic Format

Standards Body. (Year). Title (Standard number). Retrieved from URL. 

Example

International Organization for Standardization. (2016). Occupational health and safety management systems—Requirements with guidance for use (ISO/DIS Standard No. 45001). Retrieved from http://www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_detail?csnumber=63787

In-text

First citation: (International Organization for Standardization [ISO], 2016) or International Organization for Standardization (ISO, 2016).
Subsequent citations: (ISO, 2016) or ISO (2016).

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