For example, a druggist is not allowed to sell a drug unless it meets certain very rigid standards that include both the control of how it was produced and evidence of its effectiveness. Standards in this sense are minimal criteria for quality. They set necessary, but not sufficient, conditions for producing desired results. There is no guarantee that a drug will not be misused or will produce expected results. Second, standards often are used as a means of expressing expectations about goals.
Goals are broad statements of social intent.
For example, we can agree that two goals for all tests are that they should be both valid and reliable. The standards for tests developed by the American Psychological Association in 1974 describe the kind of documentation that publishers should provide about the reliability and validity of each test. Third, standards often are set to lead a group toward some new desired goals. For example, the medical profession has adopted and periodically updates standards for the licensing of specialists based on changes in technology, research, and so on. The intent is to improve or update practices when necessary.