BME 301: Biomedical Engineering Design and Communication (Fall 2025) : Standards

Using Standards for Design

Standards are established norms or requirements, usually described in a formal document that establishes uniform engineering or technical criteria, methods, processes, and practices. Searching standards during design can help you to:

Identify design constraints from best practices established by experts in the industry
Comply with laws that specify design and testing criteria
Reduce your product liability risk by not complying with best practices and/or laws
Budget for certification testing that may be required or can improve your market position.

UW Libraries owns or subscribes to standards from many standards-producing organizations.

Refer to our Standards research guide to learn more about our standards holdings.

Need a specific standard that we don't own? Request that we purchase it on your behalf.

Standards Available Online

The following are full-text standards databases available through UW Libraries.

ASABE Technical Standards
Standards developed by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

ASTM Compass
Includes all ASTM standards, plus access to a selection of ISO and IEC standards.
IEEE Xplore
All IEEE standards. Use the "Advanced Search" to limit to standards.

Free Full Text Standards

Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Accessibility Standards
Buildings and facilities must be accessible to people with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Architectural Barriers Act. Accessibility standards issued under these laws govern the design, construction, and alteration of many types of buildings and sites in the private and public sectors.
ASSIST Quick Search (Military Standards)
Free access to Defense and Federal specifications and standards available in the official Dept of Defense repository.
EverySpec
Military and other federal standards.
FDA Recognized Consensus Standards
Up-to-date list of voluntary consensus standards to which FDA will accept a Declaration of Conformity for medical devices
ITU-T
All International Telecommunication Union recommendations.
NASA Standards
NASA-developed standards by standard number.
National Fire Protection Agency
Fire, electrical, and life safety guidelines and requirements.
NIST List of Freely Available Standards
National Institute of Standards and Technology list of organizations with freely available standards.

Standards in Print

Use the Library Catalog to locate print standards on campus.

Search for the word standard* combined with keywords on your topic.
The catalog will provide the location and call number of the standard. Note that some standards are available by request only.

SAE Standards

How do I get the full text of an SAE J Standard?

If you have a J standard number or title, a Reference librarian can help you retrieve a PDF copy of these standards.

What years of SAE J Standards does the UW own?

2006-2010 - available on CD-ROM - ask a librarian in Steenbock Room 118 for help with accessing the PDF.
1961-2005 - in print in the SAE Handbook, available in several campus locations based on year.
If a J standard is not available (2011 or more recent), request the standard you need using the Request a Standard form.