Help on using search

Specific searches
Several ways are provided to help you find the standards, work items or information publications of interest to you:

  • a quick Search box on the top banner of each page.
  • an Advanced Search each for Standards and for Publications and e-products. You can get to these searches by clicking on the Advanced Search link under the search box

Search by keywords and phrases - This function operates in the same way across all ISO Online searches. Only the scope of each search differs, as described above.

  • If you enter more than one keyword, the search will default to the logical operator AND. For example, if you enter the words water quality, the search result will return those items containing both words, although not necessarily together as a phrase.
  • lf you wish to search for items containing any one of a number of words, then you should insert OR between each keyword, e.g., water OR quality will return any item which contains either of the words water or quality or both.
  • If you wish to search for items containing an exact phrase or combination of words in a specific order, then you should enclose the phrase within quotation marks, e.g. "water quality".

The search is not case-sensitive, i. e. a search on Shipbuilding will yield the same result as shipbuilding or SHIPBUILDING.

You can truncate a search term by using * as a wild card character. For example, ship* will search for ships, shipbuilding, shipping, as well as other terms starting with "ship"), *land will find inland, subland, etc.

You can also restrict your search by the NOT operator. If the word NOT is placed before a keyword, it will cause the search program to find documents that do not contain that keyword, e.g., ship* NOT shipbuilding will search for all terms starting with "ship" except shipbuilding.

Search by document reference (ISO) number - You can search for an ISO standard by entering the numerical part of the reference number of the document requested.

  • For example, if you are searching for ISO 31 and its parts, enter the search criteria 31 in the ISO number field. The search result will also include any associated amendments or corrigenda.
  • If you wish to find a specific part of a standard, e.g., ISO 31-11, you can enter 31-11 directly in any of the search boxes or, if you are using the Extended search form, you can use the separate fields provided for the ISO number, in this case 31, and for the ISO part number, in this case 11.

In addition, using the simple search in the ISO Standards listing or the Extended search form:

  • If you wish to search for a range of standards, enter, e.g. 1:400, to find all standards in the range 1 to 400 inclusive.
  • If you wish to search for more than one individual standard, use a comma to separate each number, e.g., 9001,14001,10002
  • You may also search for a combination of individual standards and/or range of standards by using a comma to separate different search criteria, e.g. 1:400,13818 will find all standards in the range 1 to 400 inclusive, plus ISO 13818 and its parts.

NOTE: With the exception of the hyphen, colon and comma as mentioned above, the ISO Number field does not accept non-numerical characters, logical operators or wild cards.

Using the Extended search form, you can also:

Search for a specific document type or supplement type - By default the search looks for all standards-type documents. Select from the options given to restrict your search to a specific type of document, e.g. Guides, Technical Reports, etc., or to a specific type of supplement, e.g. Amendments, Technical corrigenda, etc.

Search by ICS (International Classification for Standards) - You can search for standards and/or projects classified by subject in accordance with any technical field and/or group and/or sub-group of the ICS. The search form links to the List of ICS fields, which gives a description of all ICS fields, groups and sub-groups.

  • If you wish to find, for example, all standards and/or projects classified within the ICS field 13 ENVIRONMENT. HEALTH PROTECTION. SAFETY, including all its groups and sub-groups, simply enter 13 in the ICS search field.
  • To find all standards and/or projects classified within, e.g., the ICS group 13.040 Air quality, including its sub-groups, enter 13.040 in the ICS search field.
  • To find all standards and/or projects classified within a single ICS sub-group, e.g., the ICS sub-group 13.040.30 Workplace atmospheres, enter 13.040.30 in the ICS search field.
  • You can use the colon to search for all standards and/or projects across an ICS range. For example, 13.040:13.080 would find all items classified within ICS group 13.040 and its sub-groups through to 13.080 and its sub-groups inclusive; 53:55.180.20 would find all items classified in ICS field 53 and its groups and sub-groups through to ICS sub-group 55.180.20 inclusive.
  • You may also search for a combination of individual and/or a range of ICS fields/groups/sub-groups by using a comma to separate different search criteria, e.g. 87.020:87.060,87.100 will found all items classified within group 87.020 and its sub-groups through to 87.060 and its sub-groups inclusive, plus ICS group 87.100 and its sub-groups, but will exclude group 87.080 which falls between the two selections.

Search by stage code - Allows a search for standards which have reached a particular stage in their development or life cycle. The stage codes used by ISO are based on the international harmonized stage code system. The search form links to a stage code chart giving the explanatory name for each valid stage code. Apart from the four digit stage code(s), which must always be entered in full, the search form field will also accept the string newprojects to find new projects registered in the selected period regardless of the stage at which they entered the ISO work programme.

In combination with a search by stage code, ALWAYS either select or define a date or period when the stage code was reached (Last week, This month, Other, etc.) or check the box Current stage only. For example:

  • Enter 50.00 and check the box Current stage only to find all projects which are currently at stage 50.00 (Final draft international standard registered for formal approval).
  • Enter 50.00, select This Year and uncheck the box Current stage only to find all projects registered at stage 50.00 this year regardless of whether or not they are still at stage 50.00.
  • Enter 50.00, select This Year and check the box Current stage only to find all projects registered at stage 50.00 this year which are still at stage 50.00.
  • Enter 50.00, select Other and enter a date or date range in the Other date field to find all projects registered at stage 50.00 on the defined date or in the defined date range. The format to be used is YYYY-MM-DD, which is in accordance with ISO 8601. This search field will also accept either the colon, to search on a range of dates, or the comma to search on more than one specific date, or a combination of both. Additionally, check or uncheck the box Current stage only depending on whether or not you want only documents which are still at stage 50.00.
  • Use a colon to define a stage code range. For example, enter 50.00:50.99 and check the box Current stage only to find all projects currently within the Approval stages.
  • Use a comma to separate the stage codes if you wish to search for projects currently at any one of two or more specific stages, e.g., enter 40.99,50.99 and check the box Current stage only to find projects at stage 40.99 and at stage 50.99 only.

You can combine the colon and comma, e.g. 40.00:40.99,50.99 will find all projects at stage 40.00 to 40.99 inclusive, plus those at stage 50.99.

NOTE: Search by stage code will override the setting of the search scope. For example, if the user specifies a search on a stage code applicable only to the technical programme (standards under development), e.g., 50.00, when the search scope is set on catalogue (published standards only), the search result will ignore the search scope and return a listing of the specified projects at stage 50.00.

Search by committee - Allows you to restrict your search to the standards and/or projects of a specific ISO committee and/or one of its subcommittees. Although it is possible to browse through the lists of standards and/or projects by committee, as described above, using the Extended search will also allow you to find withdrawn standards or deleted projects by committee, or to refine or extend your search according to the other criteria you select.

  • To find all the standards and/or projects under the overall responsibility of, say, ISO Technical Committee 207, Environmental management, including its subcommittees, select TC 207 from the drop-down box, leaving the subcommittee field blank.
  • If you wish to find all standards and/or projects under the direct responsibility of TC 207, but not those under the responsibility of its subcommittees, select TC 207 from the drop-down box and insert 0 in the subcommittee field.
  • If you wish to find all standards and/or projects under the responsibility of subcommittee 5, Life cycle assessment, of TC 207, select TC 207 from the drop-down box and insert 5 in the subcommittee field.

NOTES:
- The subcommittee field does not validate your entry, i.e. if you enter a disbanded or non-existant subcommittee number, the search will simply return a 0 result, as it will if you enter a valid subcommittee for which there are as yet no standards and/or work items.
- Detailed iinformation about each ISO technical committee and about other bodies developing ISO standards or guides is given in the section Technical committees within the Standards development menu.

Search scope - You can search on published standards (Catalogue) and/or work items (Technical programme) and/or Withdrawn standards and/or Deleted projects, by checking the appropriate boxes in the search scope. The default search scope has been designed to adapt according to the environment (published standards and/or projects) which the user is working in, and to remain constant across several searches insofar as possible. However, because it is so easy to change environment when linking from search results to various parts of ISO Online, we would advise that you check that the search scope matches your requirement whenever you launch a search.

Display of search results - You may display the results of your search by one of a choice of four options:

  • ISO Number will give a listing by ISO number in ascending numerical order. It gives the most rapid return of your search result, and is the default selection..
  • ICS will give a listing sorted by subject in accordance with the International Classification for Standards (ICS).
  • Committee will give a listing sorted by the ISO technical committee(s) and subcommittee(s) responsible for the development of the standards/projects contained in the search result.
  • Stage code will give a listing sorted according to the current stage code of the standards and/or projects

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