International Standard

ICO Std 2002:2026

Ranking Methodology Standard
DRAFT 中文
International Communication Organization (ICO)
Edition 1.0 · 2026-07

Standard Overview

ICO Std 2002:2026 is the world's first international standard to cover the full lifecycle of ranking methodology — from indicator design and data collection through scoring, publication, and audit. It provides a universal, domain-independent framework ensuring that all ranking systems conform to consistent principles of rigour, transparency, and reproducibility.

ICO Std 2002 works in concert with ICO Std 2001 (DPP-CQ), the Digital Product Passport — Credibility and Quality standard. While ICO Std 2001 governs the quality of data inputs, ICO Std 2002 governs the methodological integrity of how those inputs are transformed into ranking outcomes. Together, they form a comprehensive quality assurance chain from data to decision.

Quick Navigation

For Ranking Practitioners
Core Methodology
Principles, indicator design, weighting, data collection, and scoring methods — the essential technical framework.
→ Core Specification (Ch 4–8)
For Domain Specialists
Domain Extensions
Sector-specific adaptations covering products, brands, services, education, heritage, ESG, and more.
→ Extensions (SE-01–SE-12)
For Auditors & Policymakers
Compliance & Audit
Transparency requirements, audit frameworks, compliance certification, and reference mappings to existing international standards.
→ Ch 9–11 & Annexes

Core Specification

Foundational Framework
Methodology Core
Transparency & Compliance

Domain Extensions

SE-01
Consumer Products
Ranking consumer products with anti-fraud mechanisms, composite scoring of objective testing and subjective experience.
SE-02
Brand Value
Integrating financial metrics with perceptual indicators; aligned with ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 frameworks.
SE-03
Service Quality
SERVQUAL adaptation for rankings, customer satisfaction index (CSI), and service blueprinting protocols.
SE-04
Technology Innovation
Innovation capability assessment with Technology Readiness Level (TRL) mapping; aligned with ISO 56002 and the Oslo Manual.
SE-05
Cultural Heritage & ICH
Tangible and intangible heritage evaluation with community participation and conservation framework alignment.
SE-06
Restaurants & Gastronomy
Culinary assessment methodology balancing subjective sensory experience, cultural context, and temporal consistency.
SE-07
Education & Academia
Educational rankings with enhanced methodological rigour, peer review mechanisms, and educational equity provisions.
SE-08
Sustainability
Environmental performance within planetary boundaries; greenwashing detection and sustainability claim verification.
SE-09
ESG
Enterprise-level ESG assessment with E/S/G pillar structure and cross-framework disclosure mapping for investors and regulators.
SE-10
Tourist Attractions
Attraction evaluation with classification-based weighting, seasonal adjustment, and conservation-access balance.
SE-11
Alcoholic Beverages
Comprehensive evaluation of spirits (Baijiu with 12 aroma types), wines, beers, huangjiu, and liqueurs with sensory, physicochemical, and provenance indicators.
SE-12
Tea
Full coverage of six major tea categories, reprocessed teas, and herbal infusions (substitute teas) with origin-based quality assessment and GB standard alignment.

Annexes

Standards Relationship

ICO Std 2002 is designed to integrate with and extend existing international standards and frameworks. The diagram below summarises the key relationships.

ICO Std 2001 (DPP-CQ)
Governs data quality inputs; ICO Std 2002 governs methodological integrity. Together they form a quality assurance chain from data to ranking outcome.
IREG Berlin Principles
16 principles for university ranking transparency; ICO Std 2002 aligns with and extends these principles to all ranking domains.
ISO 20671 / ISO 10668
Brand evaluation frameworks; ICO Std 2002 provides ranking-specific operationalisation aligned with their conceptual structures.
ISO 8000
Data quality management; ICO Std 2002's three-tier data source classification and quality assurance provisions align with ISO 8000 principles.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainability and ESG extensions (SE-08, SE-09) are designed to support SDG-aligned assessment and reporting.
UNESCO ICH Convention
The Cultural Heritage extension (SE-05) aligns with the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.