ABSTRACT
ISO (International Organization for Standardization, https://www.iso.org) is the leading organization for the production and dissemination of consensus-based and globally relevant standards which provide a growing support to companies for becoming and remaining competitive in world markets. It is the world's largest developer and publisher of International Standards. The organization is a network of the national standards institutes of 157 countries, one member per country, with a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, that coordinates the system. As a nongovernmental organization it forms a bridge between the public and private sectors. On the one hand, many of its member institutes are part of the governmental structure of their countries, or are mandated by their government. On the other hand, other members have their roots uniquely in the private sector, having been set up by national partnerships of industry associations. Therefore, ISO enables a consensus to be reached on solutions that meet both the requirements of business and the broader needs of society. This entry comprises three main sections: a general introduction to ISO and standards; an overview of ISO technical committee ISO/TC 46, Information and documentation, and an article by the Chair of ISO/TC 46 on “Managing information in a changing age.”
