Presenting the findings 289 To learn about a standardized format created specifically for summative evaluations of software, see the following sidebar. You'll also learn about the work being done to create guidelines for formative evaluations. Development of the common industry format Development of a standardized formal report format, called the Common Industry Format (CIF), was initiated in 1997 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The CIF became an ISO standard in 2005. Its purpose is to establish a report format structure that gives decision makers, typically purchasing agents at large companies and government agencies, the same type of information to evaluate software solutions from different vendors. The report structure includes the requirement to document usability methods and metrics, For information about the CIF, see http://zing.ncsl.nist.gov/ iusr/