Engineering

Welcome to the hub for standards across USF Libraries. Faculty members and students from across the university system leverage these standards for various projects. While some groupings of standards are free to access, others are tied behind paywalls. While USF Libraries has prioritized certain key standards or database packages to best support faculty and student research, some standards may not be available within our existing offerings due to financial constraints. Those interested in locating or acquiring additional standards should follow the steps at the bottom of this page. 

What is a standard?

As defined by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), standards are "a set of technical definitions, instructions, rules, guidelines, or characteristics set forth to provide consistent and comparable results," encompassing:

1. Uniform Manufacturing: Ensuring items are manufactured uniformly for interchangeability.
2. Reliable Testing and Analysis: Conducting tests and analyses with minimized uncertainty.
3. Safe Facility Design and Construction: Designing and constructing facilities for safe operation.

Beyond these specifics, standards are fundamental to maintaining quality, safety, and efficiency across various industries. They offer a common framework that guides manufacturing, testing, and safety protocols, ensuring products and services meet the highest quality and safety benchmarks. This consistency is vital not just for consumer trust and safety but also for fostering international trade and promoting technological innovation. By setting clear and achievable benchmarks, standards drive progress and excellence, ensuring that the industries evolve in a structured and reliable manner.

How do I cite standards?

Each major citation style has a unique way of referencing back to a standard. Traditionally speaking, you will be required to provide the common elements of a standard. This may include the following elements:

• Author.
• Year (in round brackets).
• Standard title (in italics).
• Standard number (in round brackets).
• Publisher name.
• Homepage URL of the publisher (if URL of standard does not exist)

Depending on the citation style, formatting may differ. See table below for examples leveraging the three major citation styles:

Standard Citation Examples - ISO 13485 - Quality Management Systems for Medical Devices

How do I request a new standard?

For those interested in requesting a new standard that is not currently accessible through the USF Libraries, please follow the following steps:

• Review the USF Library catalog for the standard you are looking for. Using the standard's established acronym (set forth by the body the standard comes from(ex. ISO, ANSI), the provided identifying number (ex. 10096), and date of issuance (ex. 2023), search through the QuickSearch function. Be sure to search the combination of the acronym, identifying number, and date of issuance with quotations: "ISO 10096:2023". If it's available at the library in a print format but you need a digital copy, please request a scan through Interlibrary Loan.  
• Be sure the standard isn't currently offered for free from the body in which the standard has been established. For example, some educational copies are offered for key standards by major organizations. Further, some bodies make their standards free to utilize. While many are covered to the left in the standards section, some may slip through the gaps. Be sure to do a quick Google search before submitting a request. 
• Once you've identified that the standard is not available for free or made available through USF Libraries, it's time to submit a request through ILLiad. After completing a first-time setup, you'll follow the following steps to request this currently unavailable standard:
  1. Click on Article/Photocopy on the left-hand side menu options
  2. A form should open up, where it prompts you to provide information for an article. Keep in mind, that the form is built to cater to article submissions. You should still leverage the form for standards. You will be required to provide the Title (ISO 13485:2016), Journal/Standards Body (ISO), Year Published (2020), Inclusive Pages (N/A), and Not Wanted After Date (02/02/2024). If this is a rushed request or if you have any specifics you think we should know for this request, please include it in the Notes section. 
  3. Once it covers all the information you have on the standard, be sure to submit your request. You will be able to keep track of the submission on ILLiad on the homepage. 
• Following your submission on ILLiad, you will receive an email regarding your request. Our Collections and Discovery team may email you to clarify any specific details about the process and the specific standard you've requested. Our team will then attempt to purchase the new standard as soon as possible, and you will be notified throughout the process. If there are any issues in the acquisition of the standard (ex. cost prohibitive), USF Libraries may resort to loaning a copy from another institution. This should provide a similar level of usability on an individual level compared to purchasing a copy. When the Collections and Discovery team can acquire the standard, you will be notified via email when access is ready. If it is part of a new collection/database, the platform will be added to this page.
  • Keep in mind, that the process for acquiring new standards can sometimes take a few weeks. If this is a time-sensitive request, please denote that within your request. While purchasing copies and adding them to the catalog can be time-intensive (2-4 weeks), receiving a digital copy from another institution can sometimes take only a few days. Feel free to email the team at illreqs@lib.usf.edu.