Identifying the Elements of a Standard
In order to examine the different elements of a standard, we're going to take a close look at automobile snow tires. Consider that you are working on a team project to design a better winter tire. To do this, you will need current standards on tire design and performance.
From a Google search, we found a standard called "Standard Test Methods for Tire Performance Testing on Snow and Ice Surfaces" that looks promising (more details on using Google for standards later in the module).
How can you check if the standard will be relevant to your research? You need to investigate further to determine if the standard is what you wanted. Each standard has basic elements that can help you identify if the standard is what you need. These elements include:
- Scope
- Referenced Documents
- Terminology / Definitions
Depending on the standard, there will be additional sections like Significance of Use or General Requirements. By skimming these sections, you can determine if ASTM F1572-08(2015) Standard Test Methods for Tire Performance Testing on Snow and Ice Surfaces is a standard that can help design a better snow tire.
Pictured below is the first page of ASTM F1572-08(2015) with these sections circled and labeled. The next part of this module will define each element and explain its purpose.