[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 15, Volume 1, Parts 0 to 299]
[Revised as of January 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 15CFR200.112]

[Page 374]
 
                  TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND FOREIGN TRADE
 
 CHAPTER II--NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, DEPARTMENT 
                               OF COMMERCE
 
PART 200--POLICIES, SERVICES, PROCEDURES, AND FEES--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 200.112  Reports.

    (a) Results of calibrations and other tests are issued to the 
customer as formal reports entitled, ``National Institute of Standards & 
Technology Report of Calibration,'' ``National Institute of Standards & 
Technology Report of Test,'' or ``National Institute of Standards & 
Technology Report of Analysis,'' as appropriate. Copies are not supplied 
to other parties except under applicable Federal law. Whenever formal 
certification is required by law, or to meet special conditions adjudged 
by NIST to warrant it, a letter will be provided certifying that the 
particular item was received and calibrated or tested, and identifying 
the report containing the results.
    (b) NIST reports of calibration generally include in sentence form a 
statement of the uncertainty attached to the numerical values reported. 
Limits of uncertainty usually comprise an estimate of systematic error 
plus a value of imprecision. Details on how these estimates are arrived 
at are in many cases included in the calibration report. Additional 
information may be found in SP 250.
    (c) The NIST practice is to express data given in calibration or 
test reports in the SI or International System of Units. The 
International System of Units (SI) was defined and given official status 
by the 11th General Conference of Weights and Measures, 1960. A complete 
listing of SI units is presented in detail in NIST SP 330. The NIST will 
express data in SI units unless this makes communication excessively 
complicated. For example, commercial gage designations, commonly used 
items identified by nominal dimensions, or other commercial 
nomenclatures or devices (such as drill sizes, or commercial standards 
for weights and measures) expressed in customary units are an exception 
from this practice. However, even in such instances, when practical and 
meaningful, SI and customary units may be given in parallel. Users of 
NIST calibration services may specify the units to be used in the 
calibration, especially for commercial devices and standards using 
customary units or units having some legal definition.