RFC 2014 (rfc2014) - Page 3 of 13

IRTF Research Group Guidelines and Procedures

RFC 2014             IRTF Research Group Guidelines         October 1996


   "products" over time.  The products of a Research Group are research
   results that may be disseminated by publication in scholarly journals
   and conferences, as white papers for the community, as Informational
   RFCs, and so on.  In addition, it is expected that technologies
   developed in a Research Group will be brought to the IETF as input to
   IETF Working Group(s) for possible standardization.   However,
   Research Group input carries no more weight than other community
   input, and goes through the same standards setting process as any
   other proposal.

   IRTF Research Groups are formed to encourage research in areas of
   importance to the evolution of the Internet.  Clearly, anyone may
   conduct such research, whether or not they are members of a Research
   Group.  The expectation is that by sponsoring Research Groups, the
   IRTF can foster cross-organizational collaboration, help to create
   "critical mass" in important research areas, and add to the
   visibility and impact of the work.

   IRTF Research Groups may have open or closed memberships.  Limited
   membership may be advantageous to the formation of the long term
   working relationships that are critical to successful collaborative
   research.  However, limited membership must be used with care and
   sensitivity to avoid unnecessary fragmentation of the work of the
   research community. Allowing limited membership is in stark contrast
   to IETF Working Groups, which are always open; this contrast reflects
   the different goals and environments of the two organizations-
   research vs. standards setting.

   To ameliorate the effects of closed membership, all Research Groups
   are required to regularly report progress to the community, and are
   encouraged to hold occasional open meetings (most likely co-located
   with IETF meetings). In addition, the IRTF may host open plenaries at
   regular IETF meetings during which research results of interest to
   the community are presented.  Finally, multiple Research Groups
   working in the same general area may be formed if appropriate.

   Even more than the IETF, the work of the IRSG is expected to be
   marked by informality.  The goal is to encourage and foster valuable
   research, not to add burdensome bureaucracy to the endeavor.

1.2. Acknowledgments

   This document is based on the March 1994 RFC "IETF Working Group
   Guidelines and Procedures" by E. Huizer and D. Crocker [2].







Weinrib & Postel         Best Current Practice