Ratings are, for instance, used in evaluating capital standards and in central banks' collateral-eligibility rules.

ECONOMIST: Credit-rating agencies

Indeed, he conceded, the court was not even establishing a clear guide or standards for evaluating what are reasonable restrictions on gun ownership and use.

NPR: Supreme Court Strikes Down D.C. Handgun Ban

Without evaluating how well the standards are implemented and how well they allow teachers to adjust lesson plans, standards alone will never tell the full picture.

FORBES: What Is Wrong With Science In America?

The best approach is probably to buy supplements from a pharmacy, health food store, qualified health care professional such as medical or naturopathic doctor, or from a large retail chain such as Whole Foods Market, which has very rigid standards for evaluating all supplements that its stores carry.

CNN: How can I pick the healthiest brand of red yeast rice?

These standards are used when evaluating offer in compromise requests.

FORBES: New IRS Offer In Compromise Policies

The Education Secretary, David Blunkett, said on Sunday that he would be speaking to the Office for Standards in Education about evaluating the effectiveness of single sex teaching of some subjects in co-educational schools.

BBC: Single sex classes 'not the answer'