Standardization News

Tips, Updates and More

A search at the ASTM website for a specific ASTM standard by designation number will return a link for its current version, with additional links for historical versions. This is straightforward, and often just what you need.

But, if you're interested in what's available for a general subject area, whether hip implants or fasteners or analytical chemistry and so on, you'll find the ASTM website's search results offer more than just standards.

Here, ASTM's search capabilities, and their ongoing improvements, are designed to help you find relevant information quickly, whether it's standards, papers, technical committees or more.

Tips for Searching

Our IT folks offer a few search tips, which may be helpful if you do not already use them.

Refine Your Results

To help you find relevant search results more efficiently, the ASTM website features "Refine your results" options.

A search for the word "toys" brings up hundreds of results and a search for "steel" turns up tens of thousands. But the "Refine your results" options on the right side of the search result page allow you to review and narrow search results in different ways.

You can click through a result type, either "Products and Services," "Get Involved," "About" or "News." Click products and services to go to these diverse offerings, or get involved to learn more about the technical committees and meetings in a subject area. Results in the about section offer general information about ASTM's involvement in that area, and news results are SN articles.

Or, choose one of the options under category and its groups of results: "Applications," "Materials," "Process," "Properties and Measurements" or "Test Methods." The results here come from an ordered classification or taxonomy that ASTM recently implemented.

Refinements options also include relevant volumes of the Annual Book of ASTM Standards and any translated standards.

A search for rubber gloves, for example, turns up specifications for this essential equipment used by surgeons, electrical workers and beauticians, but also many related options. The refinements, among others, indicate that both Committees D11 on Rubber and F18 on Electrical Protective Equipment for Workers develop standards in this area, and the category results go to related standards and papers in various industry sectors.

Suppose a search result is close to what you need, but not an exact match. The "Other Searches" below each result may help you find the information you need without redoing your search query.

Back to the ASTM Home Page

You may be familiar with the breadth of information on the ASTM website and what's available through "MyASTM," the gateway for members. But if you're not, or are introducing someone to ASTM International, the links across the top of the ASTM home page - "Products and Services," "Get Involved," "About ASTM" and "News" - cover the scope of ASTM International. Each heading's dropdown menus include links to a great deal more about ASTM International operations. For users around the world, the languages links translate a great deal of the website into nine other languages.

A Few Final Notes

ASTM International's information technology group continues to hone search capabilities so that you can locate the website information you need as quickly as possible, and additional refinements will be coming soon.

Contact information and online help can be reached through an online form.

If you're having technical difficulties, contact website support (1-877-909-2786, U.S. and Canada; 1-610-832-9585, international) from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. EST.

And, if you are not an ASTM International member, questions and suggestions can be submitted online.

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