Normative references
There are no normative references. Nothing else has to be read for the standard to apply.
What clause 2 asks
The standard has no normative references. A normative reference is a document that the standard requires the reader to hold in order to apply it. Because the list is empty, no other standard is a precondition for a conformance claim. The bibliography in Annex F names related material for context, and clause 3 points to dictionaries for terms that are not defined in the standard, but those pointers are informative.
Why it matters
An empty normative reference list is a useful fact, not a gap. It means a small organization can apply the standard without buying a library of related documents. It also means that a supplier cannot argue that conformance is impossible because a referenced document is unavailable. The related standards in the bibliography can still be useful, especially for vocabulary and for testing, but they are aids rather than conditions.
What good looks like
Record the empty list in the method note so an assessor does not have to infer it. If the organization chooses to use a related standard for vocabulary or testing, say that it is a chosen aid and name the edition. Do not let a chosen aid become an unstated requirement in a contract or an internal procedure.
Evidence an assessor asks for
The assessor will not ask for a missing normative reference, but may ask why a related standard is cited. The answer should be that it is an aid, not a condition.
- Method note A line recording that the standard has no normative references
- Chosen aids Any related standard the organization uses, with its edition and the reason
- Contract check Confirmation that no external document was added to the claim without a decision
Where it commonly fails
- A related standard is written into the contract as if it were a normative reference
- The team believes it cannot start without a vocabulary standard it does not need
- A chosen aid is not named, so different teams use different editions
What to do before publication
Keep the list empty in the claim. Name any aid separately in the method note.