Requirements for IETF Technical Publication Service
RFC 4714

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Network Working Group                                          A. Mankin
Request for Comments: 4714
Category: Informational                                         S. Hayes
                                                                Ericsson
                                                            October 2006

          Requirements for IETF Technical Publication Service

Status of This Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this
   memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2006).

Abstract

   The work of the IETF is to discuss, develop, and disseminate
   technical specifications to support the Internet's operation.
   Technical publication is the process by which that output is
   disseminated to the community at large.  As such, it is important to
   understand the requirements on the publication process.

Mankin & Hayes               Informational                      [Page 1]
RFC 4714         IETF Technical Publisher Requirements      October 2006

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction ....................................................2
   2. Scope ...........................................................3
      2.1. Stages in the Technical Specification Publication
           Lifetime ...................................................4
   3. Technical Publication Tasks and Requirements ....................5
      3.1. Pre-approval Review or Editing .............................6
      3.2. Preliminary Specification Availability .....................6
      3.3. Post-approval Editorial Cleanup (Non-author Editing) .......7
      3.4. Validation of References ...................................9
      3.5. Validation of Formal Languages .............................9
      3.6. Insertion of Parameter Values .............................10
      3.7. Post-approval, Pre-publication Technical Corrections ......10
      3.8. Allocation of Permanent Stable Identifiers ................11
      3.9. Document Format Conversions ...............................12
      3.10. Language Translation .....................................12
      3.11. Publication Status Tracking ..............................12
      3.12. Expedited Handling .......................................13
      3.13. Exception Handling .......................................14
      3.14. Notification of Publication ..............................14
      3.15. Post-publication Corrections (errata) ....................15
      3.16. Indexing: Maintenance of the Catalog .....................15
      3.17. Access to Published Documents ............................16
      3.18. Maintenance of a Vocabulary Document .....................17
      3.19. Providing Publication Statistics and Status Reports ......17
      3.20. Process and Document Evolution ...........................18
      3.21. Tutorial and Help Services ...............................18
      3.22. Liaison and Communication Support ........................19
   4. Technical Publisher Performance Goals ..........................20
      4.1. Publication Timeframes ....................................20
      4.2. Publication Throughput ....................................21
   5. IETF Implications of Technical Publication Requirements ........21
   6. IANA Considerations ............................................22
   7. Security Considerations ........................................22
   8. Acknowledgements ...............................................23
   9. Informative References .........................................23

1.  Introduction

   The work of the IETF is to discuss, develop, and disseminate
   technical specifications to support the Internet's operation.
   Therefore, an important output of the IETF is published technical
   specifications.  The IETF technical publisher is responsible for the
   final steps in the production of the published technical
   specifications.  This document sets forth requirements on the duties
   of the IETF technical publisher and how it interacts with the IETF in
   the production of those publications.

Mankin & Hayes               Informational                      [Page 2]
RFC 4714         IETF Technical Publisher Requirements      October 2006

   The term "technical specification" is used here purposefully to refer
   to the technical output of the IETF.  This document does not engage
   in the debate about whether it is expressed as RFCs or otherwise,
   what "is" an RFC, how to classify them, etc.  These issues are
   considered out of scope.

   The intention of this document is to clarify the IETF's consensus on
   its requirements for its technical publication service.  It is
   expected to be used in the preparation of future contracts.  This
   document is not a discussion of how well the current technical
   publisher (the RFC Editor) fulfills those requirements.