Chapter 2: Normative References
ICO Std 2002:2026 — Chapter 2
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this standard. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
2.1 International Standards and Normative Documents
2.1.1 IREG Berlin Principles on Ranking of Higher Education Institutions
Full title: IREG Berlin Principles on Ranking of Higher Education Institutions Issuing body: International Ranking Expert Group (IREG) Year of publication: 2006 (originally); revised 2016 Relationship with this standard: The IREG Berlin Principles establish 16 principles governing the design, implementation, and publication of university rankings. Chapter 4 (Principles) of this standard aligns with and extends the Berlin Principles to all ranking domains. Where a ranking system falls within the scope of higher education assessment, conformance with the Berlin Principles shall be deemed to satisfy the corresponding principle-level requirements of Chapter 4, subject to the additional provisions specified in this standard.
2.1.2 ISO 20671:2019 — Brand evaluation — Principles and fundamentals
Full title: ISO 20671:2019 Brand evaluation — Principles and fundamentals Issuing body: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Relationship with this standard: ISO 20671 specifies the principles and fundamentals for evaluating brands, including the dimensions of legal, behavioural, and financial factors that influence brand strength. Chapter 5 (Indicator Design) of this standard draws upon the dimensional framework established by ISO 20671. Where a ranking system evaluates brand value, the indicator system shall be consistent with the principles of ISO 20671, and the relevant extension module (SE-02) provides the domain-specific mapping.
2.1.3 ISO 10668:2010 — Brand valuation — Requirements for monetary brand valuation
Full title: ISO 10668:2010 Brand valuation — Requirements for monetary brand valuation Issuing body: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Relationship with this standard: ISO 10668 specifies the requirements for monetary brand valuation, including the approaches (income, market, and cost) and the transparency requirements for valuation reports. Extension module SE-02 (Brand Value) references ISO 10668 for the monetary valuation component of brand rankings. Where a ranking system includes monetary brand valuation as an indicator or input, the valuation shall be performed in accordance with ISO 10668.
2.1.4 ISO 8000 series — Data quality
Full title: ISO 8000 (all parts) — Data quality Issuing body: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Relationship with this standard: The ISO 8000 series establishes requirements for data quality, including characteristics of quality such as accuracy, completeness, consistency, and timeliness. Chapter 7 (Data Collection) of this standard adopts the data quality framework of ISO 8000. Data used in ranking systems shall satisfy the quality characteristics specified in the applicable parts of ISO 8000, as further specified in Chapter 7.
2.1.5 ISO/IEC 17021 series — Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems
Full title: ISO/IEC 17021 (all parts) — Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems Issuing body: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) / International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Relationship with this standard: ISO/IEC 17021 specifies the requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems, including competence, impartiality, and consistency of audit activities. Chapter 10 (Audit and Traceability) of this standard aligns the audit provisions for ranking systems with the principles and requirements of ISO/IEC 17021. Auditing bodies conducting conformance assessments under this standard shall operate in accordance with the applicable requirements of ISO/IEC 17021.
2.2 Referenced Frameworks and Conventions
2.2.1 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Full title: Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (A/RES/70/1) Issuing body: United Nations General Assembly Year of adoption: 2015 Relationship with this standard: The UN SDGs provide the overarching framework for sustainable development. Extension module SE-09 (ESG and Sustainability) aligns the indicator framework for ESG and sustainability rankings with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Where a ranking system assesses sustainability performance, its indicators shall be traceable to the relevant SDG targets.
2.2.2 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
Full title: Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (MISC/2003/CLT/CH/14) Issuing body: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Year of adoption: 2003 Relationship with this standard: The UNESCO Convention establishes the international framework for the identification, safeguarding, and promotion of intangible cultural heritage. Extension module SE-05 (Cultural Heritage) references the Convention’s definitions and safeguarding principles. Where a ranking system assesses intangible cultural heritage, its methodology shall be consistent with the spirit and provisions of the Convention, particularly regarding community participation and cultural sensitivity.
2.2.3 Michelin Guide Methodology
Full title: Michelin Guide Methodology Issuing body: Michelin Relationship with this standard: The Michelin Guide represents a long-established and widely recognised methodology for restaurant and gastronomy assessment, characterised by anonymous, independent inspections and a standardised evaluation framework. Extension module SE-06 (Restaurants and Gastronomy) references the Michelin Guide methodology as an illustrative model for independent, expert-based assessment in the gastronomy domain. This reference is informative and does not imply endorsement or exclusivity.
2.3 ICO Standards
2.3.1 ICO Std 2001 — Digital Product Passport — Credibility and Quality (DPP-CQ)
Full title: ICO Std 2001 — Digital Product Passport — Credibility and Quality Issuing body: International Communication Organization (ICO) Relationship with this standard: ICO Std 2001 establishes the requirements for digital product passports that provide structured, verifiable records of product quality, origin, and sustainability attributes. As described in 0.3.1, ICO Std 2002 operates in complementary conjunction with ICO Std 2001. Where a ranking system uses data sourced from DPP-CQ compliant records, the data quality provisions of ICO Std 2001 may be relied upon to satisfy the corresponding requirements of Chapter 7 of this standard.
2.4 Dated and Undated References
The following distinction applies to the normative references cited in this standard:
a) Dated references : Where a specific edition of a referenced document is cited (e.g., “ISO 10668:2010”), only that edition, including any amendments or corrigenda published prior to the date of this standard, constitutes the normative reference. Subsequent revisions of dated references will be considered for incorporation in future revisions of this standard.
b) Undated references : Where a referenced document is cited without a specific edition (e.g., “ISO 8000 (all parts)”), the latest edition of the referenced document, including any amendments, applies. Users of this standard are encouraged to investigate the possibility of applying the most recent editions of the undated references indicated below.
The following references are dated in this standard:
— ISO 10668:2010 — ISO 20671:2019
The following references are undated in this standard:
— ISO 8000 (all parts) — ISO/IEC 17021 (all parts) — IREG Berlin Principles on Ranking of Higher Education Institutions — UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage — Michelin Guide Methodology — ICO Std 2001 (DPP-CQ)
Note: This chapter is part of ICO Std 2002 (Tianji Ranking Methodology Standard). The provisions of this chapter are normative. Informative references not essential for the application of this standard are listed in Annex B.