As per Relevance of the word research, we have this rfc below:
Network Working Group A.
Request for Comments: 2014 Intel
BCP: 8 J.
Category: Best Current Practice
October 1996
IRTF Research Group Guidelines and
Status of this
This document specifies an Internet Best Current Practices for
Internet Community, and requests discussion and suggestions
improvements. Distribution of this memo is unlimited
The Internet Research Task Force (IRTF) has responsibility
organizing groups to investigate research topics related to
Internet protocols, applications, and technology. IRTF activities
organized into Research Groups. This document describes
guidelines and procedures for formation and operation of
Research Groups. It describes the relationship between
participants, Research Groups, the Internet Research Steering
(IRSG) and the Internet Architecture Board (IAB). The basic
of IRTF participants, including the IRTF Chair, Research Group
and IRSG members are defined
1.
This document defines guidelines and procedures for Internet
Task Force (IRTF) Research Groups. The IRTF focuses on longer
research issues related to the Internet while the
organization, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), focuses
the shorter term issues of engineering and standards making
The Internet is a loosely-organized international collaboration
autonomous, interconnected networks; it supports host-to-
communication through voluntary adherence to open protocols
procedures defined by Internet Standards, a collection of which
commonly known as "the TCP/IP protocol suite". Development
review of potential Internet Standards from all sources is
by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). The
Standards Process is defined in [1].
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RFC 2014 IRTF Research Group Guidelines October 1996
The IRTF is a composed of a number of focused, long-term,
Research Groups. These groups work on topics related to
protocols, applications, architecture and technology. Research
are expected to have the stable long term membership needed
promote the development of research collaboration and teamwork
exploring research issues. Participation is by
contributors, rather than by representatives of organizations
The IRTF is managed by the IRTF Chair in consultation with
Internet Research Steering Group (IRSG). The IRSG
includes the IRTF Chair, the chairs of the various Research Group
possibly other individuals ("members at large") from the
community
The IRTF Chair is appointed by the IAB, the Research Group chairs
appointed as part of the formation of Research Groups (as
below) and the IRSG members at large are chosen by the IRTF Chair
consultation with the rest of the IRSG and on approval by the IAB
In addition to managing the Research Groups, the IRSG may from
to time hold topical workshops focusing on research areas
importance to the evolution of the Internet, or more
workshops to, for example, discuss research priorities from
Internet perspective
This document defines procedures and guidelines for formation
operation of Research Groups in the IRTF. The duties of the
Chair, the Research Group Chairs and IRSG members are also described
Except for members at large of the IRSG, there is no
participation in the IRTF, only participation in a specific
Group
The document uses: "shall", "will", "must" and "is required" where
describes steps in the process that are essential, and uses
"suggested", "should" and "may" where guidelines are described
are not essential, but are strongly recommended to help
Research Group operation. The terms "they", "them" and "their"
used in this document as third-person singular pronouns
1.1. IRTF
The reader is encouraged to study The Internet Standards Process [1]
to gain a complete understanding of the philosophy, procedures
guidelines of the IETF and its approach to standards making
The IRTF does not set standards, and thus has somewhat different
complementary philosophy and procedures. In particular, an
Research Group is expected to be long-lived, producing a sequence
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RFC 2014 IRTF Research Group Guidelines October 1996
"products" over time. The products of a Research Group are
results that may be disseminated by publication in scholarly
and conferences, as white papers for the community, as
RFCs, and so on. In addition, it is expected that
developed in a Research Group will be brought to the IETF as input
IETF Working Group(s) for possible standardization. However
Research Group input carries no more weight than other
input, and goes through the same standards setting process as
other proposal
IRTF Research Groups are formed to encourage research in areas
importance to the evolution of the Internet. Clearly, anyone
conduct such research, whether or not they are members of a
Group. The expectation is that by sponsoring Research Groups,
IRTF can foster cross-organizational collaboration, help to
"critical mass" in important research areas, and add to
visibility and impact of the work
IRTF Research Groups may have open or closed memberships.
membership may be advantageous to the formation of the long
working relationships that are critical to successful
research. However, limited membership must be used with care
sensitivity to avoid unnecessary fragmentation of the work of
research community. Allowing limited membership is in stark
to IETF Working Groups, which are always open; this contrast
the different goals and environments of the two organizations
research vs. standards setting
To ameliorate the effects of closed membership, all Research
are required to regularly report progress to the community, and
encouraged to hold occasional open meetings (most likely co-
with IETF meetings). In addition, the IRTF may host open plenaries
regular IETF meetings during which research results of interest
the community are presented. Finally, multiple Research
working in the same general area may be formed if appropriate
Even more than the IETF, the work of the IRSG is expected to
marked by informality. The goal is to encourage and foster
research, not to add burdensome bureaucracy to the endeavor
1.2.
This document is based on the March 1994 RFC "IETF Working
Guidelines and Procedures" by E. Huizer and D. Crocker [2].
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RFC 2014 IRTF Research Group Guidelines October 1996
2. RESEARCH GROUP
Research Groups are the activity centers in the IRTF. A
Group is typically created to address a research area related
Internet protocols, applications, architecture or technology area
Research Groups have the stable long term membership needed
promote the development of research collaboration and teamwork
exploring research issues. Participation is by
contributors, rather than by representatives of organizations
A Research Group may be established at the initiative of
individual or group of individuals. Anyone interested in creating
IRTF Research Group must submit a charter for the proposed group
the IRTF Chair along with a list of proposed founding members.
charter will be reviewed by the IRSG and then forwarded to the
for approval
If approved, the charter is placed on the IRTF Web site,
published in the Internet Monthly Report (IMR).
2.1. Criteria for
In determining whether it is appropriate to create a Research Group
the IRTF Chair, the IRSG and the IAB will consider several issues
- Is the research area that the Research Group plans to
clear and relevant for the Internet community
- Will the formation of the Research Group foster work that
not be done otherwise. For instance, membership drawn from
than a single institution, more than a single country, and so on
is to be encouraged
- Do the Research Group's activities overlap with those of
Research Group? If so, it may still be appropriate to create
Research Group, but this question must be considered
since subdividing efforts often dilutes the available
expertise
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RFC 2014 IRTF Research Group Guidelines October 1996
- Is there sufficient interest and expertise in the Research Group'
topic with at least several people willing to expend the
that is likely to produce significant results over time?
Groups require considerable effort, including management of
Research Group process, editing of Research Group documents,
contribution to the document text. IRTF experience suggests
these roles typically cannot all be handled by one person;
least four or five active participants are typically required.
help in this determination, a proposal to create a Research
should include a list of potential charter members
The Internet Architecture Board (IAB) will also review the charter
the proposed Research Group to determine the relationship of
proposed work to the overall architecture of the Internet
Suite
2.2.
A charter is a contract between a Research Group and the IRTF
conduct research in the designated area. Charters may be
periodically to reflect changes to the current status,
or goals of the Research Group
The formation of a Research Group requires a charter which
initially negotiated between a prospective Research Group Chair
the IRTF Chair. When the prospective Chair and the IRTF Chair
satisfied with the charter form and content, it becomes the basis
forming a Research Group
A IRTF Research Group charter consists of five sections
1. Research Group
A Research Group name should be reasonably descriptive
identifiable. Additionally, the group shall define an
(maximum 8 printable ASCII characters) to reference the group
the IRTF directories, mailing lists, and general documents.
name and acronym must not conflict with any IETF names
acronyms
2. Chair(s
The Research Group may have one or two Chair(s) to perform
administrative functions of the group. The email address(es)
the Chair(s) shall be included
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RFC 2014 IRTF Research Group Guidelines October 1996
3. Mailing list(s
Each Research Group shall have an address (possibly the Chair's
for members of the Internet community to send queries
the Research Group. For instance, for requests to join
group
A Research Group, whether limited membership or open, will have
"interest" Internet mailing list open to all interested parties
This list is used for an open discussion of the issues
announcements of results as they become available.
should be the address to which an interested party sends
subscription request for the interest list and the procedures
follow when subscribing, and the location of the interest
list archive
It is expected that a Research Group may also have a mailing
limited to the regular meeting participants on which
part of the work of a Research Group is likely to be conducted
e-mail
4. Membership
The Charter must define the membership policy (whether open
limited), and the procedure to apply for membership in the group
While limited membership is permitted, it is in no way
or required
5. Description of Research
The focus and intent of the group shall be set forth briefly.
reading this section alone, an individual should be able to
whether this group is relevant to their own work. The
paragraph must give a brief summary of the research area, basis
goal(s) and approach(es) planned for the Research Group.
paragraph will frequently be used as an overview of the
Group's effort
To facilitate evaluation of the intended work and to provide on
going guidance to the Research Group, the charter shall
the proposed research and shall discuss objectives and
impact with respect to the Internet Architecture
3. RESEARCH GROUP
Research Groups are autonomous and each determines most of
details of its own operation with respect to session participation
reaching closure, norms of behavior, etc. Since the products
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RFC 2014 IRTF Research Group Guidelines October 1996
research results, not Internet standards, consensus of the group
not required. Rather, the measure of success is the quality
impact of the research results
A number of procedural questions and issues will arise over time,
it is the function of the Research Group Chair to manage the
process, keeping in mind that the overall purpose of the group is
make progress towards realizing the Research Group's goals
objectives
There are few hard and fast rules on organizing or
Research Group activities, but a set of guidelines and practices
evolved over time that have proven successful. These are listed here
with actual choices typically determined by the Research
members and the Chair
3.1. Meeting
For coordinated, structured Research Group interactions, the
must publish to the group mailing list a draft agenda well in
of the actual meeting. The agenda needs to contain at least
- The items for discussion
- The estimated time necessary per item;
- A clear indication of what documents the participants
need to read before the meeting in order to be
prepared
A Research Group will conduct much of its business via its
mail distribution list(s). It is also likely to meet periodically
accomplish those things that are better achieved in more
meetings, such as brainstorming, heated altercations, etc.
may be scheduled as telephone conference, video teleconference,
face-to-face (physical) meetings
It is strongly encouraged that all Research Group meetings
recorded in written minutes, to keep informed members who were
present and the community at large and to document the
for present and future members. These minutes should include
agenda for the meeting, an account of the high points of
discussion, and a list of attendees. Unless the Research Group
decides otherwise, the minutes should be sent to the interest
and made available through the IRTF Web and ftp sites
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RFC 2014 IRTF Research Group Guidelines October 1996
3.2. Meeting
Each Research Group will determine the balance of email and face-to
face meetings that is appropriate for making progress on its goals
Electronic mail permits the easiest and most
participation; face-to-face meetings often permit better focus,
productive debate and enhanced working relationships
Face-to-face meetings are encouraged to be held co-located with
regular IETF meetings to minimize travel, since IRTF members
often also active in the IETF and to encourage the cross
fertilization that occurs during hallway and after-
interactions. Furthermore, as described above, even limited
membership Research Groups are encouraged to hold occasional
meetings; an IETF meeting would serve as an ideal venue for such
event
3.3. Meeting
The challenge to managing Research Group meetings is to balance
need for consideration of the various issues, opinions and
against the need to allow forward progress. The Research Group, as
whole, has the final responsibility for striking this balance
4. RESEARCH GROUP
If, at some point, it becomes evident that a Research Group is
making progress in the research areas defined in its charter,
fails to regularly report the results of its research to
community, the IRTF Chair can, in consultation with Group, either
1. Require that the group recharter to refocus on a
set of problems
2. Request that the group choose new Chair(s),
3. Disband the group
If the Research Group disagrees with the IRTF Chair's choice, it
appeal to the IAB
5. STAFF
Research Groups require considerable care and feeding. In
to general participation, successful Research Groups benefit
the efforts of participants filling specific functional roles
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RFC 2014 IRTF Research Group Guidelines October 1996
5.1. IRTF
The IRTF Chair is responsible for ensuring that Research
produce coherent, coordinated, architecturally consistent and
output as a contribution to the overall evolution of the
architecture. In addition to the detailed tasks related to
Groups outlined below, the IRTF Chair may also from time to
arrange for topical workshops attended by the IRSG and perhaps
experts in the field
The IRTF Chair monitors the range of activities. This may
encouraging the formation of Research Groups directly, rather
waiting for proposals from IRTF participants
Coordination of Research
The IRTF Chair coordinates the work done by the various
Groups
The IRTF Chair reports on IRTF progress to the to the IAB and
wider Internet community (including via the IMR).
Progress
The IRTF Chair tracks and manages the progress of the
Research Groups with the aid of a regular status report
documents and accomplishments from the Research Group Chairs.
resulting reports are made available to the community at large
regular intervals
5.2. IRSG
Members of the IRSG are responsible for advising the IRTF Chair
the chartering of new Research Groups and other matters relating
the smooth operation of the IRTF. In addition, most IRSG members
also Research Group chairs
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RFC 2014 IRTF Research Group Guidelines October 1996
5.3. Research Group
The Research Group Chair is concerned with making forward progress
the areas under investigation, and has wide discretion in the
of Research Group business. The Chair must ensure that a number
tasks are performed, either directly or by others assigned to
tasks. This encompasses at the very least the following
Ensuring the Research Group process and content
The Chair has ultimate responsibility for ensuring that a
Group achieves forward progress. For some Research Groups,
can be accomplished by having the Chair perform all management
related activities. In other Research Groups --
those with large or divisive participation -- it is helpful
allocate process and/or secretarial functions to
participants. Process management pertains strictly to the
of Research Group interaction and not to its content.
secretarial function encompasses preparation of minutes,
possibly editing of group-authored documents
Moderate the Research Group email
The Chair should attempt to ensure that the discussions on
list are relevant and that not devolve to "flame" attacks or rat
hole into technical trivia. The Chair should make sure
discussions on the list are summarized and that the outcome
well documented (to avoid repetition).
Organize, prepare and chair face-to-face and on-line formal
The Chair should plan and announce meetings well in advance. (
section on Meeting Planning for procedures.)
Communicate results of
The Chair and/or Secretary must ensure that minutes of a
are taken
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RFC 2014 IRTF Research Group Guidelines October 1996
Distribute the
It is expected that all Research Group participants will
contribute to the work of the group. Research Group membership
expected to be a long term commitment by a set of
members of the research community. Of course, at any given
more of the work is likely to be done by a few participants
particular interests, set of skills and ideas. It is the task
the Chair to motivate enough experts to allow for a
distribution of the workload
Document
Research Groups produce documents and documents need authors
However, authorship of papers related to the work of a
Group is one of the primary reasons that researchers
members, so finding motivated authors should not be a problem
It is up to the Research Group to decide the authorship of
resulting from Research Group activities. In particular
authorship by the entire group is not required
Document
The Chair and/or Secretary will work with the RFC Editor to
documents to be published as RFCs conform with RFC
requirements and to coordinate any editorial changes suggested
the RFC Editor
5.2. Research Group Editor/
Taking minutes and editing jointly-authored Research Group
often is performed by a specifically-designated participant or set
participants
6. RESEARCH GROUP
6.1. Meeting
All relevant documents for a meeting (including the final agenda
should be published to the group mailing list and available at
two weeks before a meeting starts
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RFC 2014 IRTF Research Group Guidelines October 1996
It is strongly suggested that the Research Group Chair make sure
an anonymous FTP directory or Web site be available for the
meeting. All relevant documents (including the final agenda and
minutes of the last meeting) should be placed in this directory
This has the advantage that all participants can retrieve all
in this directory and thus make sure they have all
documents. Also, it will be helpful to provide electronic mail-
retrieval for those documents
6.2. Request For Comments (RFC
The work of an IRTF Research Group usually results in publication
research papers and other documents, as well as documents as part
the Informational or Experimental Request For Comments (RFCs)
[1]. This series is the archival publication record for the
community. A document can be written by an individual in a
Group, by a group as a whole with a designated Editor, or by
not involved with the IRTF. The designated author(s) need
include the group Chair(s).
NOTE: The RFC series is a publication mechanism only and
does not determine the status of a document. Status is
through separate, explicit status labels. In other words, the
is reminded that all Internet Standards are published as RFCs,
NOT all RFCs specify standards
The RFC's authors are expected to work with the RFC Editor to
all formatting, review and other requirements that the Editor
impose. Usually, in case of a submission intended as an
or Experimental RFC minimal review is necessary, although
in the Experimental track generally requires IESG review. However
in all cases initial publication as an Internet Draft is preferred
If the Research Group or the RFC Editor thinks that an
review is appropriate, the IRTF Chair may be asked to conduct one
This review may either be done by the IRTF Chair, the IRSG, or
independent reviewer selected by the IRTF Chair. Occasionally
review by the IETF or IESG may be appropriate
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RFC 2014 IRTF Research Group Guidelines October 1996
7. SECURITY
Security issues are not discussed in this memo
8.
[1] Internet Architecture Board and Internet Engineering
Group, "The Internet Standards Process -- Revision 2", RFC 1602,
IAB, IESG, March 1994. Soon to be replaced by "The
Standards Process -- Revision 3", Work in Progress
[2] Huizer, E. and D. Crocker, "IETF Working Group Guidelines
Procedures", RFC 1603, March 1994.
9. AUTHORS'
Abel
Intel Corporation, MS JF2-74
2111 NE 25th Ave
Hillsboro, OR 97124
Phone: 503-264-8972
EMail: weinrib@intel.
Jon
USC - ISI, Suite 1001
4676 Admiralty
Marina del Rey, CA 90292-6695
Phone: 310-822-1511
EMail: postel@isi.
Weinrib & Postel Best Current Practice [Page 13]
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