https://www.nist.

gov/calibrations/traceability

NIST Policy on Metrological

Traceability
NIST has an organizational policy on traceability and a set of related supplementary
materials, which includes answers to questions frequently asked by customers of NIST
measurement services. The policy and supplementary materials are intended to serve
as a resource for NIST customers.

Introduction

The mission of NIST is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by

advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance
economic security and improve our quality of life. To help meet the measurement and
standards needs of U.S. industry and the nation, NIST provides calibrations
(https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-materials-nist-policy-
review#calibration), standard reference materials
(https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-materials-nist-policy-review#srm), standard
reference data (https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-materials-nist-policy-
review#srd), test methods (https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-materials-nist-policy-
review#test_methods), proficiency evaluation materials
(https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-materials-nist-policy-review#proficiency)1
[1],
tools that facilitate the evaluation of measurement uncertainty [2], measurement
quality assurance programs, and laboratory accreditation
(https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-materials-nist-policy-
review#lab_accreditation) services that assist a customer in establishing traceability
of measurement results (https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-materials-nist-policy-
review#measurement_result).

Metrological traceability [3] requires the establishment of an unbroken chain of

calibrations (https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-materials-nist-policy-
review#unbroken-chain_cal) to specified reference standards
(https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-materials-nist-policy-review#specified_reference):
typically national or international standards, in particular realizations of the
measurement units of the International System of Units (SI). NIST assures the
traceability to the SI, or to other specified standards, of measurement results that
NIST itself provides, either directly or through an official NIST program or
collaboration (https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-materials-nist-policy-
review#official_nist). Other organizations are responsible for establishing the traceability
of their own results to those of NIST or other specified references. NIST has adopted
this policy statement to document the NIST role with respect to traceability.

Policy Statement

To support the conduct of its mission and to ensure that the use of its name, products,
and services is consistent with its authority and responsibility, NIST:

1. Adopts for its own use and recommends for use by others the definition of
metrological traceability provided in the most recent version of the
International vocabulary of metrology – Basic and general concepts and
associated terms (VIM[4], 2.41): "property of a measurement result whereby the
result can be related to a reference through a documented unbroken chain of
calibrations, each contributing to the measurement uncertainty."
2. Establishes metrological traceability to the SI, or to other specified standards, of
its own measurement results provided to customers in certificates of
NIST calibrations, reference materials, and other measurement services
(https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-materials-nist-policy-review#certificates),
that operate in accordance with the NIST Quality System for Measurement
Services.
3. Asserts that providing support for a claim of metrological traceability of a
measurement result is the responsibility of the provider of that result
(https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-materials-nist-policy-review#provider);
whether that provider is NIST or another organization; and that assessing the
validity of such a claim is the responsibility of the user of that result
(https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-materials-nist-policy-review#user_result).
4. Communicates, especially where claims expressing or implying the contrary are
made, that NIST does not define (https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-
materials-nist-policy-review#definingtraceability), specify
(https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-materials-nist-policy-
review#specifying_traceability), assure (https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-
materials-nist-policy-review#assure), or certify metrological traceability
(https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-materials-nist-policy-
review#certifyingtraceability) of the results of measurements except those that NIST
itself provides, either directly or through an official NIST program or
collaboration.
5. Emphasizes that traceability alone does not signify or guarantee fitness for
purpose, because this typically requires that the uncertainty associated with a
measured value or calibration be sufficiently small to satisfy a particular
measurement need.
 6. Collaborates on development of standard definitions, interpretations, and
recommended practices with organizations that have authority and
responsibility for variously defining, specifying, assuring, or certifying
metrological traceability (https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-materials-nist-
policy-review#organizations).
7. Develops and disseminates technical information on traceability, provides tools
and expertise supporting the evaluation of measurement uncertainty, and
conducts coordinated outreach programs on issues of traceability and related
requirements.
8. Assigns responsibility for oversight of implementation of the NIST policy on
metrological traceability to the NIST Measurement Services Council (NMSC).

In text references:

[1] Homogeneous materials or artifacts that are used to test and evaluate the
measurement performance and fitness for purpose of measuring systems (VIM §3.2)
or measurement procedures (VIM §2.6).

[2] NIST Uncertainty Machine (https://uncertainty.nist.gov) and NIST Consensus Builder

(https://consensus.nist.gov), with user’s manuals available online, and supported by peer-
reviewed publications: Lafarge & Possolo (NCSLI Measure Journal of Measurement
Science 10(3): 20-27); Koepke et al. (2017, Metrologia 54(3): S34-S62, DOI
10.1088/1681-7575/aa6c0e (https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1681-7575/aa6c0e)).

[3] The abbreviated term “traceability” is sometimes used to mean “metrological

traceability” as well as other concepts, such as “sample traceability” or “document
traceability” or “instrument traceability” or “material traceability”, where the history
(“trace”) of an item is meant. Therefore, the full term of “metrological traceability” is
preferred if there is any risk of confusion (VIM §2.41, Note 8).

[4] Joint Committee for Guides in Metrology (2012, 3rd Edition, International Bureau
of Weights and Measures (BIPM)). The VIM is freely available online at
https://jcgm.bipm.org/vim/en/ (https://jcgm.bipm.org/vim/en/).

Additional references:

Joint BIPM, OIML, ILAC, and ISO Declaration on Metrological Traceability

(https://www.bipm.org/documents/20126/42177518/BIPM-OIML-ILAC-
ISO+joint+declaration+%282018%29.pdf/7f1a4834-da36-b012-2a81-fc51a79b0726?
version=1.2&download=true)
CIPM 2009-24, Traceability in the CIPM MRA
(https://www.bipm.org/documents/20126/43742162/CIPM-MRA-G-13.pdf/f8b8c429-42e0-
4cf1-dc6c-bc60ab7f371a?version=1.5&download=true)
1Underlined terms are defined in III Glossary of Terms
(https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-materials-nist-policy-review#glossary) in
the Supplementary Materials (https://www.nist.gov/traceability/supplementary-materials-
nist-policy-review)

Reference materials (https://www.nist.gov/topic-terms/reference-materials)

Created February 12, 2010, Updated April 20, 2021