Standardization: A primer

Recognition is growing of the importance of including standardization in an academic education. Standardization committees create a defined order applied to a specific application, e.g., a safety standard, a measurement standard, a telephone jack, a WiFi signal, a quality standard, a process standard, lumber size. This standardization activity is certainly necessary, but theoretically the details of any standard are largely arbitrary, which reduces any academic interest in standardization. This widespread view is simplistic and needs to change. Creating and maintaining a standard has significant technical and economic effects, even when the details of the standard are arbitrary. Teaching this basic theory of standards and its impact is missing from the existing academic curriculum. This primer develops and presents this theory with a focus on current issues related to interoperation.