Monthly Roundup: Generalities, Terminology, and Documentation Standards from May 2025

Looking back at May 2025, the Generalities, Terminology, Standardization, and Documentation sector saw a substantial release of critical standards shaping nomenclature, documentation practices, regulatory benchmarks, and digital preservation activities across multiple industries. In this comprehensive overview—part two of a three-part series—we examine five newly published standards that span microbeam analysis, material declarations, aerospace data archiving, artificial intelligence data quality, and electronic archiving services. For organizations striving to maintain best practices, achieve cross-sector compliance, or lead in digital documentation, staying updated on these standards is essential. This article distills their requirements, contextualizes trends, and offers practical insights for immediate and future adoption.

Monthly Overview: May 2025

May 2025 continued the sector's shift toward greater precision in terminology, interoperability between digital environments, and robust compliance frameworks. With five key publications across international (ISO, IEC) and regional (CEN) bodies, the month highlighted three major trends:

• Harmonization of technical terminology for niche scientific and highly digitized domains.
• Expansion of documentation standards to support rapidly evolving technologies (e.g., AI, ML, advanced manufacturing).
• New compliance and traceability requirements for the entire lifecycle of digital documents and materials, especially under tightening global and regional regulatory mandates.

Compared to previous months, May 2025’s standards set a new bar for cross-industry applicability (notably seen in IEC 82474-1:2025), reinforced aerospace-specific definitions for long-term digital preservation, and pushed into the rapidly emerging territory of data quality for artificial intelligence and machine learning. Organizations across sectors—manufacturing, electronics, aerospace, IT, and regulated digital services—should take stock of these shifts to ensure their internal documentation and compliance systems remain robust and future-proof.

Standards Published This Month

ISO 17297:2025 - Microbeam Analysis – Focused Ion Beam Application for TEM Specimen Preparation – Vocabulary

Microbeam analysis – Focused ion beam application for TEM specimen preparation – Vocabulary

ISO 17297:2025 defines the specialized terminology employed in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) specimen preparation using focused ion beam (FIB) technology. As FIB-SEM dual-beam platforms increasingly support advanced characterization in materials science, semiconductors, and biomedical fields, the standard addresses the growing need for globally harmonized terms. This vocabulary standard encompasses:

• Terms for the physical principles of FIB systems (e.g., 'amorphization', 'collision cascade', 'sputtering yield')
• Instrumentation and process terms (such as 'beam profile', 'detection limit')
• Vocabulary relevant to both practical sample preparation and applied research in advanced microscopy

Compliance is especially crucial for laboratories, equipment manufacturers, and organizations engaged in cross-disciplinary failure analysis or nanofabrication. The standard provides a common language that facilitates international collaboration, accurate reporting, and regulatory approval for advanced materials testing and research protocols.

Key highlights:

• Comprehensive glossary of FIB and TEM-specific terms for standardization
• Promotes interoperability between vendors, labs, and regulators
• Supports documentation, training, and global scientific communication

Access the full standard:View ISO 17297:2025 on iTeh Standards

IEC 82474-1:2025 - Material Declaration – Part 1: General Requirements

Material declaration – Part 1: General requirements

IEC 82474-1:2025 establishes rigorous requirements, content, format, and data exchange protocols for material declarations across the supply chain. Serving as a horizontal document for multiple industries—not just electrical and electronic sectors—it underpins:

• Product compliance assessments (e.g., against RoHS, REACH, substance restrictions)
• Lifecycle environmental impact analyses
• Material efficiency and circularity reporting

This edition introduces substantial changes compared to its predecessor (IEC 62474:2018), including:

• Sharpened definitions and added terms for digital communication and circularity
• New subclauses addressing process chemical declaration and web services for machine-to-machine data exchange
• Mandated requirements for the development and maintenance of reference and exemption lists

Organizations across manufacturing, engineering, procurement, and environmental management must heed these updates to maintain compliance, improve transparency, and support sustainability initiatives. The standard does not prescribe software solutions, thus supporting diverse digital ecosystems while promoting data consistency and reliability throughout the product lifecycle.

Key highlights:

• Comprehensive structure for both mandatory and optional material declarations
• Supports web services, API integration, and digital interoperability
• Aligns with global reporting trends for circular economy and sustainable design

Access the full standard:View IEC 82474-1:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN 9300-007:2025 - Aerospace Series – LOTAR: Long Term Archiving and Retrieval of Digital Technical Product Documentation – Part 007: Terms and Definitions

Aerospace series – LOTAR – Long Term Archiving and Retrieval of digital technical product documentation such as 3D, CAD and PDM data – Part 007: Terms and definitions

EN 9300-007:2025 provides a harmonized vocabulary for the European Aerospace sector’s LOTAR (Long Term Archiving and Retrieval) initiative. Covering 3D models, CAD, and product data management (PDM) systems, this standard:

• Defines critical terms, abbreviations, and references used throughout the EN 9300 series
• Ensures precise interpretation of archival, authentication, and digital preservation processes for aerospace documentation
• Supports organizations facing increasing regulatory obligations for product lifecycle traceability, airworthiness, and digital continuity

Aerospace OEMs, suppliers, digital archive providers, and engineering teams deploying long-term digital preservation systems will benefit greatly by aligning their documentation, training, and systems integration strategies with this vocabulary. The update reflects alignment with the latest EN 9300 series editions, acting as the definitive source for shared definitions across the suite.

Key highlights:

• Standardizes CAD, PDM, and archiving terminology across aerospace digital supply chains
• Provides definitions that anticipate evolving technologies and data use cases
• Supports regulatory compliance, PLM interoperability, and certification documentation

Access the full standard:View EN 9300-007:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN ISO/IEC 5259-1:2025 - Artificial Intelligence – Data Quality for Analytics and Machine Learning – Part 1: Overview, Terminology, and Examples (ISO/IEC 5259-1:2024)

Artificial intelligence – Data quality for analytics and machine learning (ML) – Part 1: Overview, terminology, and examples (ISO/IEC 5259-1:2024)

EN ISO/IEC 5259-1:2025 is foundational for organizations and technical teams deploying analytics and machine learning (ML) in both traditional sectors and advanced applications. The standard:

• Offers an integrated framework for understanding and associating subsequent parts of the ISO/IEC 5259 series
• Defines the core concepts and terminology critical for data quality assessment in analytics and ML
• Presents practical use cases and scenarios that illustrate data quality challenges and approaches

Sectors required to demonstrate algorithm transparency, data provenance, or automated decision-making resilience will find this vocabulary and conceptual grounding indispensable. The standard supports convergence between IT, compliance, and R&D communities—building a common language for robust data quality management frameworks.

Key highlights:

• Lays the groundwork for harmonized data quality management in AI/ML pipelines
• Clarifies lifecycle concepts: data lineage, provenance, governance, and remediation
• Essential for cross-disciplinary teams involved in digital transformation, algorithm auditing, and ML deployment

Access the full standard:View EN ISO/IEC 5259-1:2025 on iTeh Standards

CEN/TS 18170:2025 - Functional Requirements for the Electronic Archiving Services

Functional requirements for the electronic archiving services

CEN/TS 18170:2025 articulates functional requirements for electronic archiving trust services—both qualified and non-qualified—aligned to the latest legal frameworks such as eIDAS 2 and NIS2 in Europe. The specification details:

• Receipt, storage, retrieval, and deletion functions to ensure long-term accessibility and durability of electronic documents (covering both natively electronic and digitized paper records)
• Protocols for origin accuracy, data durability, authorized access, and sustainable practices
• The interaction of archiving trust services with other trust services across the digital ecosystem

This standard is highly relevant for service providers, regulated entities, and public organizations responsible for digital preservation, especially in high-trust domains such as government, financial services, healthcare, and regulated industry supply chains.

Key highlights:

• Codifies functional requirements for digital archiving and secure preservation
• Specifies integrity, traceability, origin verification, and privacy safeguards
• Addresses sustainability requirements alongside long-term data stewardship

Access the full standard:View CEN/TS 18170:2025 on iTeh Standards

Common Themes and Industry Trends

Harmonizing Terminology Across Technologies: A prominent trend this month was the formalization and harmonization of terminology in highly technical and cross-sector domains. ISO 17297:2025 and EN 9300-007:2025 each address terminology consolidation needs for specialized processes (microbeam analysis and aerospace digital archiving), reducing ambiguity and supporting international interoperability.

Digitization and Lifecycle Traceability: The increased focus on digital documentation and long-term preservation (EN 9300-007:2025, CEN/TS 18170:2025) reflects industry response to growing volume, complexity, and regulatory requirements in managing digital and digitized records. Organizations are increasingly required to demonstrate data origin, lifecycle traceability, and digital continuity in both technical and legal contexts.

Compliance for Material Composition and Environmental Reporting: With IEC 82474-1:2025 adopting a multi-sector, horizontal approach, the month underscored the critical role of standardized material declarations—not only for compliance, but also for enabling sustainability initiatives and circular economy contributions. Enhanced guidance for process chemicals, API-driven data exchange, and reference list curation align with IT–OT convergence trends and digital supply chain transparency.

Data Quality in Analytics and AI/ML: EN ISO/IEC 5259-1:2025’s foundational framework marks the sector’s expansion into AI/ML and analytics, ensuring that terminology and lifecycle concepts are clear and actionable regardless of domain. Data quality is now recognized as vital not only for data science and IT, but for regulated industry, AI governance, and automated compliance.

Convergence of Trust Services with Documentation Standards: CEN/TS 18170:2025 demonstrates how documentation standards are adapting to align with trust service models and advanced electronic preservation, reflecting the trends in regulatory harmonization (eIDAS 2, NIS2) and cross-domain interoperability.

Compliance and Implementation Considerations

Organizations impacted by these standards should approach implementation in a prioritized, phased manner:

1. Terminology Adoption: Ensure all relevant teams (R&D, lab, engineering, compliance, quality) update internal glossaries, training, and documentation to align with new vocabularies (ISO 17297:2025, EN 9300-007:2025, EN ISO/IEC 5259-1:2025).

2. Documentation and Archival Readiness: Review digital archiving practices against new requirements for accessibility, traceability, and authorized access (EN 9300-007:2025, CEN/TS 18170:2025). Ensure legacy and new systems can produce, store, and retrieve compliant data and metadata packages.

3. Material and Environmental Declarations: Update supplier engagement and internal data collection processes to meet new composition, process chemical, and digital data exchange mandates (IEC 82474-1:2025). Special attention should be paid to cross-sector applicability and evolving web-based data formats.

4. AI/ML Project Quality Baselines: For organizations deploying analytics and AI/ML projects, integrate EN ISO/IEC 5259-1:2025’s terminology and data lifecycle models into quality management systems from the outset. Identify data owners, document provenance, and establish regular quality assessments across the data pipeline.

Timeline and Resources:

• Immediate: Familiarize key staff and update internal references and vocabularies.
• Short Term (3–6 months): Review compliance gaps, update processes, and plan system integrations.
• Medium Term (6–12 months): Implement technology upgrades (where needed), conduct staff retraining, and audit processes against the new standards.

Stakeholders are encouraged to use iTeh Standards resources for access to normative guidance, supporting documentation, and technical specifications.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways from May 2025

May 2025’s portfolio of Generalities, Terminology, Standardization, and Documentation standards showcases a decisive advance in global terminology harmonization, digital documentation stewardship, and cross-sector compliance. The month’s publications collectively:

• Equip professionals with standardized vocabularies for emerging technologies (FIB-TEM, aerospace PLM, AI/ML)
• Advance new frameworks for material transparency, lifecycle traceability, and environmental stewardship
• Lay foundations for next-generation compliance—spanning digital archiving, trust services, and scalable data quality in AI

For industry professionals, quality and compliance managers, researchers, and procurement specialists, reviewing and applying these standards is crucial for:

• Sustaining global competitiveness and regulatory readiness
• Reducing risk in documentation, reporting, and digital continuity
• Building a common understanding and efficient workflows in increasingly complex technological environments

Ongoing awareness and proactive implementation of these standards—supported by resources from iTeh Standards—will ensure your organization’s documentation, digital records, and compliance practices are resilient and future-proof.