It is important to remember that standards are “living documents”, which may initially be published and iteratively modified, corrected, adjusted, and/or updated based on market conditions and other factors. Depending on where a standard is in its lifecycle, a standard may be accompanied by additional documents that are produced by its respective Working Group. These may include amendments (which modify sections of the standard), or corrigenda (which only correct errors or ambiguities in a standard). An errata, which addresses errors in the standard introduced during the publication process may be issued by the IEEE SA Editorial staff.
Revising a Standard
An IEEE standard is active for a period of ten (10) years from the IEEE SA Standards Board approval year.
Within the ten year period, Standards Committees can take the following actions:
- Revise the standard by opening the entire document for updates, changes, or additions
- Submit Amendments for additional material to the standard
- Submit Corrigenda for corrections to the standard that does not introduce new material
- Withdraw the standard from active to inactive-withdrawn status through an SA Ballot
If a standard has not been revised before the end of the ten (10) year maintenance cycle, it may be administratively withdrawn by the IEEE SASB.
Addressing Errors
IEEE SA can publish an errata if an error during publication is introduced.
IEEE SA no longer has a reaffirmations/stabilization process.