IUPAC Recommendations are the output of IUPAC Projects or other studies on nomenclature, symbols, terminology, or conventions, and their purpose is to recommend unambiguous, uniform, and consistent nomenclature and terminology for specific scientific fields, usually presented as: glossaries of terms for specific chemical disciplines; definitions of terms relating to a group of properties; nomenclature of chemical compounds and their classes; terminology, symbols, and units in a specific field; classifications and uses of terms in a specific field; and conventions and standards of practice for presenting data in a specific field. The development of IUPAC Recommendations as well as that of IUPAC Technical Reports is conducted in a manner to ensure that the widest possible consensus has been reached among all IUPAC Divisions and other bodies of the Union, between IUPAC and other bodies of the International Council for Science (ICSU), the international standardizing organizations, and the Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures (CGPM) and its Committees. The IUPAC Inter-divisional Committee on Terminology, Nomenclature and Symbols (ICTNS) coordinates the standardization activities and the output of such activities are released as Provisional Recommendations for public review and commentary. Following approval, the Final Recommendations are published in IUPAC’s journal Pure and Applied Chemistry (PAC) or books, including the so-called Color Books. The basics of organic nomenclature, of inorganic nomenclature and polymer nomenclature are also summarized in a collection of Brief Guides.
Recently published Recommendations
IUPAC Technical Reports are scientific publications resulting from IUPAC Projects or other research activities related to: the compilation and critical evaluations of data, or of parameters and equations; the critical assessment of methods and techniques; guidelines for the presentation of methods of analysis or for the calibration of instruments; determinations of specific elements or compounds in selected samples in special environments; studies of the biodegradability of materials; chemical process control aspects; and evaluations of properties of specific materials. The manuscripts are reviewed by the IUPAC International Committee on Terminology, Nomenclature and Symbols (ICTNS) for consistency of nomenclature and symbols usage with current IUPAC standards. Once a manuscript has been approved, it is published in IUPAC’s journal, Pure and Applied Chemistry (PAC). These reports are freely-available in the year following their publication.
Tools for Authors
- Preparation, formatting and review of IUPAC Technical Reports and Recommendations, IUPAC-sponsored books, or other items carrying the IUPAC label” Pure and Applied Chemistry, vol. 94, no. 11-12, 2022, pp. 1257-1267. https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2022-1106
(superseding the Guidelines for Drafting IUPAC Technical Reports and Recommendations)
- Procedure for Publication of IUPAC Technical Reports and Recommendations