scope:

This document provides guidance for the development and maintenance of standards for adoption by a standards developing organization (SDO) or other organization wishing to develop standards. It addresses elements such as:

1) Openness

2) Balance

3) Transparency

4) Dominance

5) Views and Objections

6) Consensus and Voting

7) Appeals

8) Maintenance

9) Policies (e.g., Patents, Copyrights, Trademarks, Anti-Trust, Interpretation, etc.)

Where the term "standard" is used throughout this document, it also applies to guides, test methods, specifications, recommended practices, and other similar documents.

For this document, the following conventions apply:

1) The terms "shall" and "shall not" indicate requirements to be followed strictly to conform to this publication and from which no deviation is permitted.

2) The terms "should" and "should not" indicate that among several possibilities:

a) one is recommended as particularly suitable, without mentioning or excluding others, or;

b) that a certain course of action is preferred but not necessarily required, or;

c) that (in the negative form) a certain possibility or course of action is discouraged but not prohibited.

3) The terms "may" and "need not" indicate a course of action permissible within the limits of the publication.

4) The terms "can" and "cannot" indicate a possibility and capability, whether material, physical or causal.

Compliance with requirements of this document does not represent accreditation with a National Standards body such as American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or Standards Council of Canada (SCC).