GENEVA, SWITZERLAND—The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Inter-national Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) have published a new guide on the vocabulary of metrology.

ISO/IEC Guide 99: 2007, International vocabulary of metrology – Basic and general concepts and associated terms (VIM), is an English-French publication, giving guidance on the concepts and terms used in various approaches to measurement.

ISO/IEC Guide 99 cancels and replaces the second edition of the International vocabulary of basic and general terms in metrology (VIM). It is equivalent to the third edition of the VIM. The third edition covers measurements in chemistry and laboratory medicine for the first time, as well as incorporates concepts such as those that relate to metrological traceability, measurement uncer-tainty and nominal properties. The document’s title is meant to emphasize the primary role of concepts in developing a vocabulary.

In ISO/IEC Guide 99, it is taken for granted that there is no fundamental difference in the basic principles of measurement in physics, chemistry, laboratory medicine, biology or engineering. Furthermore, an attempt has been made to meet conceptual needs of measurement in fields such as biochemistry, food science, forensic science and molecular biology.

ISO/IEC Guide 99 was developed by a joint committee comprising representatives of the Interna-tional Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM), IEC, ISO, the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC), the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).