How about a Mil spec for your reference? It's MIL-R-47196, "RIVETS, BUCK TYPE, PREPARATION FOR AND INSTALLATION OF (Superseded by NASM47196)", available from the ASSIST website. A very convenient thing to call up on a drawing - I suspect that's the purpose of Mrcadman2u's question.
Edge distances and terminology are spelled out in detail in the spec, and it's public domain. It is interesting to note that even in the standard, the allowable "edge margins", as they call them, are also subjective. The allowable margins are different depending on rivet head type, dimpling, and inspectability. Since the document dates from 1977, my guess is that the authors could have drawn from many sources, whose data had been refined over many years.
Mind you, there is a passage that goes something like: "edge margins less than those specified above requires further engineering approval", which is sorta what everyone else here is talking about.
There may also be guidance in Advisory Circular AC65-12, though I haven't got a copy handy to look it up. There is a very large and comprehensive section about riveting.
In any event, if one is going to specify a <2D edge distance, one will be venturing into the "non-standard" territory, as everyone has already pointed out.
Steven Fahey, CET