A standard is an agreed and approved code of best practice containing technical specifications and guidelines that can be routinely used to ensure that products and processes are fit for purpose.
Access the full text of ASTM Standards on ASTM Compass.
Access the full text of all British Standards from British Standards Online. Often an ISO International Standard will have a direct British Standard equivalent so you will be able to find it on the BSOL website.
To download PDFs from the BSOL platform, users need to install FileOpen on their device. If you are using an MWS device, the FileOpen Plugin for Acrobat is available from Install University Applications.
Access the full text of all IEEE Standards on IEEE Xplore.
If an international standard (ISO) has a direct British standard equivalent, it will be accessible from British Standards Online. Other standards from other countries are harder to find. Look under the Standards Websites tab above for some useful international links. If you need a non-UK standard, then we may be able to source it from another library, you can request it using Get it for Me.
Governments grant a patent for a novel invention to the inventor for a limited period. The patent gives the inventor the right to stop others from making, using or selling the invention without their permission. When a patent is granted the invention becomes the property of the inventor and they can then sell, rent or hire it out as they wish.
Patents can be hard to search for as the language used to describe them is often deliberately confusing and complicated. To get started with your patent search use Espacenet from the European Patent Office (EPO).
