Once a draft standard has been reviewed, finalized, and approved by the Working Group, it is submitted to the Standards Committee for approval to move forward to the IEEE SA Ballot. Upon successful completion of the IEEE SA Ballot process, the draft standard is submitted to the Review Committee (RevCom). The balloted draft standard is reviewed by RevCom and then submitted to the IEEE SASB for approval. After final approval by the IEEE SASB, the approved standard is published and made available for distribution and purchase.
How is Final Approval Obtained?
The IEEE SA Standards Board (SASB) approves or disapproves draft standards based on the recommendation of its Standards Review Committee (RevCom). RevCom examines all submitted, project-related documentation and determines whether or not the standards development process has been followed (see the IEEE SA RevCom Conventions for more information). RevCom does not make any determinations concerning the technical nature of the draft standard, as that is the role of the balloting group. Completed draft standards come before the SASB throughout the year based on the published IEEE SASB schedule.
An imperative principle behind standardization is the right of appeal. More information about appeals can be found in subclause 5.4 of the IEEE SA Standards Board Bylaws.
What Happens to a Standard After Approval?
Once a standard has been approved by the IEEE SASB, it receives a thorough, detailed edit from a professional IEEE Standards editor. The role of the editor is to ensure that the standard is grammatically and syntactically correct using American English. It is not an editor’s role to make any changes that affect the technical meaning of the standard. The editor makes editorial and formatting changes and helps to ensure the document meets the IEEE standards style as outlined in the IEEE SA Standards Style Manual (PDF).
The IEEE standards editor normally works with a primary point of contact for the Working Group (usually the chair or technical editor). The IEEE standards editor discusses any questions with the Working Group contact. The Working Group contact also receives a copy of the final standard to review and approve prior to publication. Upon approval by the Working Group contact, the standard is published.
How are Standards Distributed?
IEEE standards are sold both as individual documents and within multiple subscriptions. Individual documents are available in print and PDF format. IEEE standards included in the IEEE Electronic Library (IEL), and in IEEE Standards Online Subscriptions, are topical collections of standards and drafts accessible online through an annual subscription.
IEEE standards are also available through IEEE SA approved distributors and resellers — who are based around the globe to effectively serve in-country standards access and needs.
IEEE standards can be purchased directly from IEEE through the IEEE Standards Store, IEEE Xplore® Digital Library or an IEEE Contact Center representative.