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Standards: Home

What are standards?

Standards are "documents that provide requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose" (ISO.org, 2017)

The purpose of a standard in any sector is to ensure quality, safety and efficiency.

Example: ISO 8714: Electric road vehicles - reference energy consumption and range - test procedures for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. 

Regulation of standards

Standards are regulated at national and international level.

Based in Geneva, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has been publishing international standards in every sector since 1947. It works with its membership of national standards bodies - sharing knowledge, devising, developing and revising standards in a global network.

The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) is Ireland's official standards and measurement body

Access standards via the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI)

Standards are not freely available on the Web. At DCU we access through our subscription to the NSAI database on the SAI Global i2i platform. Find it on our A-Z Databases list (under 'national'), or click on the link below.

Search by Standard Number (eg. ISO 6460) or keyword

Access the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) on SAI Global i2i Platform via DCU Library

Navigating Standards

In this video, DCU Library's Lisa Callaghan (Engineering & Computing Librarian) discusses how to access standards through DCU Library.

  

Leveraging Standards for Research and Projects

In this video Éadoin Carthy, School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at DCU, discusses the use of standards. She highlights the importance of standards in every day life and how standards are developed.

Your path to Excellence

In this video, NSAI's Barry Cox highlights how standards can support your studies throughout university and your career path