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Author
Swankin, D. A.
Title
Rationale Statements for Voluntary Standards--Issues, Techniques, and Consequences. Final Report.
Coporate
National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
Report
NBS GCR 81-347
November 1981
90 p.
Distribution
Available from National Technical Information Service
Keywords
legislation | standards
Abstract
This report provides an overview of the needs, practices and consequences of providing rationale statements for voluntary standards. The research consisted of a literature review, a review of relevant court cases, the collection and assessment of examples of rationale statements, and discussions with those involved in standards writing. Six examples of rationale are analyzed and a discussion of the most controversial issues associated with rationale statements follows. The report also contains a listing of product liability cases in which the issue of standards was raised and analyzes the legal counsequences that rationale statements are likely to have on such cases.