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What are documentary standards?
Documentary standards can specify definition of terms; classifications of components; delineation of procedures; specification of dimensions, materials, processes, products, systems, services or practices; test methods and sampling procedures; or descriptions of fit and measurements of size or strength. Under the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA), NIST is assigned responsibility to coordinate federal, state, and local documentary standards and conformity assessment activities.
NIST Handbooks
The NIST Handbooks are one of several types of documentary standards produced within the Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) that pertain to areas of legal metrology, laws, regulations, measurement devices, and specifications and tolerances.
NIST Handbooks contain recommended codes of engineering and industrial practice (including safety codes) developed in cooperation with interested industries, professional organizations, and regulatory bodies.
For more background on the origin of the NIST Handbooks, please see The NIST Handbooks and NCWM: A Brief History.
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