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<h1>W3C Process Document</h1>
<h2>7 <a name="Reports" id="Reports">W3C Technical Report Development
Process</a></h2>
<div class="toc">
<ul class="toc">
<li class="tocline3"><a href="#maturity-levels" class="tocxref">7.1 Maturity
Levels</a>
<ul class="toc">
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#q73" class="tocxref">7.1.1 Maturity Level for
Work in Progress</a></li>
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#q74" class="tocxref">7.1.2 Maturity Levels of
the Recommendation Track</a></li>
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#q75" class="tocxref">7.1.3 Maturity Level When
Ending Work on a Technical Report</a></li>
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#q76" class="tocxref">7.1.4 Maturity Level When
Editing a Recommendation</a></li>
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#q77" class="tocxref">7.1.5 Maturity Levels When
Rescinding a Recommendation</a></li>
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#q78" class="tocxref">7.1.6 Maturity Levels For
Interest Group and Coordination Group Technical Reports</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="tocline3"><a href="#transition-reqs" class="tocxref">7.2 General
Requirements for Advancement on the Recommendation Track</a></li>
<li class="tocline3"><a href="#doc-reviews" class="tocxref">7.3 Reviews and
Review Responsibilities</a></li>
<li class="tocline3"><a href="#rec-advance" class="tocxref">7.4 Advancing a
Technical Report to Recommendation</a>
<ul class="toc">
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#first-wd" class="tocxref">7.4.1 First Public
Working Draft</a></li>
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#last-call" class="tocxref">7.4.2 Last Call
Announcement</a></li>
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#cfi" class="tocxref">7.4.3 Call for
Implementations</a></li>
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#cfr" class="tocxref">7.4.4 Call for Review of a
Proposed Recommendation</a></li>
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#rec-publication" class="tocxref">7.4.5
Publication of a W3C Recommendation</a></li>
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#return-to-wg" class="tocxref">7.4.6 Returning a
Document to a Working Group for Further Work</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="tocline3"><a href="#tr-end" class="tocxref">7.5 Ending Work on a
Technical Report</a></li>
<li class="tocline3"><a href="#rec-modify" class="tocxref">7.6 Modifying a W3C
Recommendation</a>
<ul class="toc">
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#errata" class="tocxref">7.6.1 Errata
Management</a></li>
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#correction-classes" class="tocxref">7.6.2
Classes of Changes to a Recommendation</a></li>
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#cfr-edited" class="tocxref">7.6.3 Call for
Review of an Edited Recommendation</a></li>
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#cfr-corrections" class="tocxref">7.6.4 Call for
Review of Proposed Corrections</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="tocline3"><a href="#rec-rescind" class="tocxref">7.7 Rescinding a
W3C Recommendation</a>
<ul class="toc">
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#proposed-rescinded-rec" class="tocxref">7.7.1
Proposal to Rescind a Recommendation</a></li>
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#publication-rescinded-rec" class="tocxref">7.7.2
Publication of a Rescinded Recommendation</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="tocline3"><a href="#DocumentsGeneral" class="tocxref">7.8 General
Information about Technical Reports</a>
<ul class="toc">
<li class="tocline4"><a href="#DocumentStatus" class="tocxref">7.8.1 Document
Status Section</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<p>The W3C technical report development process is the set of steps and
requirements followed by W3C <a href="groups.html#GroupsWG">Working Groups</a>
to standardize Web technology. The processes followed by a Working Group to
manage specifications and guidelines -- called technical reports in this
section -- include:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="#rec-advance">Advancing a technical report</a> from early draft to
mature deliverable ("Recommendation"); this is called the <a id="Recs" name=
"Recs">W3C Recommendation Track</a>;</li>
<li><a href="#tr-end">Ending work on a technical report</a> before it reaches
Recommendation, or when not intended to become a Recommendation;</li>
<li><a href="#rec-modify">Modifying a W3C Recommendation</a>;</li>
<li><a href="#rec-rescind">Rescinding a Recommendation</a> no longer endorsed
by W3C.</li>
</ul>
<p>The W3C technical report development process is designed to maximize
<a href="policies.html#def-Consensus">consensus</a> about the content of a
technical report, to ensure high technical and editorial quality, to promote
consistency among specifications, and to earn endorsement by W3C and the
broader community. See also the licensing goals for W3C Recommendations in
<a href="http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Patent-Policy#sec-Licensing">section
2</a> of the <a href="http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Patent-Policy">W3C Patent
Policy</a> [<a href="refs.html#ref-patentpolicy">PUB33</a>].</p>
<p>The following sections describe:</p>
<ul>
<li>the steps of the technical report development process (e.g., "Announcement
of Last Call" or "Call for Implementations"),</li>
<li>the requirements for each step, and</li>
<li>the <a href="#maturity-levels">maturity level</a> of a technical report at
each step (e.g., "Working Draft" or "Candidate Recommendation"). Please note
that there is not a one-to-one correspondence between steps of the technical
report development process and maturity levels.</li>
</ul>
<p>Maturity levels are described first, followed by the steps of the technical
report development process and the requirements for each step.</p>
<h3>7.1 <a name="maturity-levels" id="maturity-levels">Maturity Levels</a></h3>
<p>The maturity level of a published technical report indicates its place in
the development process. The maturity levels "Working Draft" and "Working Group
Note" represent the possible <a name="tr-init-state" id="tr-init-state">initial
states</a> of a technical report in the development process. The maturity
levels "Recommendation," "Working Group Note," and "Rescinded Recommendation"
represent the possible <a name="tr-end-state" id="tr-end-state">end
states</a>.</p>
<h4><a name="q73" id="q73">7.1.1 Maturity Level for Work in Progress</a></h4>
<dl>
<dt><a name="RecsWD" id="RecsWD">Working Draft (WD)</a></dt>
<dd>A Working Draft is a document that W3C has published for review by the
community, including W3C Members, the public, and other technical
organizations. Some, but not all, Working Drafts are meant to advance to
Recommendation; see the <a href="#DocumentStatus">document status section</a>
of a Working Draft for the group's expectations.</dd>
</dl>
<h4 id="rec-track-doc"><a name="q74" id="q74">7.1.2 Maturity Levels of the
Recommendation Track</a></h4>
<p>In addition to Working Drafts that are meant to advance to Recommendation,
the other maturity levels of the Recommendation Track are:</p>
<dl>
<dt><a name="RecsCR" id="RecsCR">Candidate Recommendation (CR)</a></dt>
<dd>A Candidate Recommendation is a document that W3C believes has been widely
reviewed and satisfies the Working Group's technical requirements. W3C
publishes a Candidate Recommendation to gather implementation experience.</dd>
<dt><a name="RecsPR" id="RecsPR">Proposed Recommendation (PR)</a></dt>
<dd>A Proposed Recommendation is a mature technical report that, after wide
review for technical soundness and implementability, W3C has sent to the W3C
Advisory Committee for final endorsement.</dd>
<dt><a name="RecsW3C" id="RecsW3C">W3C Recommendation (REC)</a></dt>
<dd>A W3C Recommendation is a specification or set of guidelines that, after
extensive consensus-building, has received the endorsement of W3C Members and
the Director. W3C recommends the wide deployment of its Recommendations.
<strong>Note:</strong> W3C Recommendations are similar to the standards
published by other organizations.</dd>
</dl>
<h4><a name="q75" id="q75">7.1.3 Maturity Level When Ending Work on a Technical
Report</a></h4>
<dl>
<dt><a name="WGNote" id="WGNote">Working Group Note</a></dt>
<dd>A Working Group Note is published by a chartered Working Group to indicate
that work has ended on a particular topic. A Working Group <span class=
"rfc2119">MAY</span> publish a Working Group Note with or without its prior
publication as a Working Draft.</dd>
</dl>
<p><strong>Note:</strong> To avoid confusion in the developer community and the
media about which documents represent the output of chartered groups and which
documents are input to W3C Activities (<a href=
"submission.html#Submission">Member Submissions</a> and <a href=
"organization.html#TeamSubmission">Team Submissions</a>), W3C has stopped using
the unqualified maturity level "Note."</p>
<h4><a name="q76" id="q76">7.1.4 Maturity Level When Editing a
Recommendation</a></h4>
<dl>
<dt><a name="ProposedEditedRec" id="ProposedEditedRec">Proposed Edited
Recommendation</a></dt>
<dd>A Proposed Edited Recommendation is a Recommendation published for
community review of <a href="#correction-classes">changes</a>, some of which
may affect conformance. When there is consensus about the changes, the document
is published as a Recommendation.</dd>
</dl>
<h4><a name="q77" id="q77">7.1.5 Maturity Levels When Rescinding a
Recommendation</a></h4>
<dl>
<dt><a name="RescindedRec" id="RescindedRec">Rescinded Recommendation</a></dt>
<dd>A Rescinded Recommendation is an entire Recommendation that W3C no longer
endorses.</dd>
</dl>
<h4 id="ig-cg-notes"><a name="q78" id="q78">7.1.6 Maturity Levels For Interest
Group and Coordination Group Technical Reports</a></h4>
<p>W3C <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> also publish "Interest Group Notes" and
"Coordination Group Notes". Because the label "W3C Working Draft" is so
strongly associated with W3C Working Group deliverables (especially those on
the Recommendation Track), W3C publishes "Interest/Coordination Group Notes"
for both ongoing and completed work by those groups.</p>
<h3>7.2 <a name="transition-reqs" id="transition-reqs">General Requirements for
Advancement on the Recommendation Track</a></h3>
<p>In preparation for advancement to Candidate Recommendation or subsequent
maturity levels up to and including publication as a Recommendation, the
Working Group <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span>:</p>
<ol>
<li>Record the group's decision to request advancement.</li>
<li>Provide public documentation of all changes (both substantive and minor) to
the technical report since the previous step. A <a name="substantive-change"
id="substantive-change">substantive change</a> (whether deletion, inclusion, or
other modification) is one where someone could reasonably expect that making
the change would invalidate an individual's review or implementation
experience. Other changes (e.g., clarifications, bug fixes, editorial repairs,
and minor error corrections) are <a name="minor-change" id="minor-change">minor
changes</a>.</li>
<li>Report which, if any, of the Working Group's requirements for this document
have changed since the previous step.</li>
<li>Report any changes in dependencies with other groups.</li>
<li>Show evidence of wide review.</li>
<li><a href="policies.html#formal-address">Formally address</a> all issues
raised about the document since the previous step.</li>
<li>Report any <a href="policies.html#FormalObjection">Formal
Objections</a>.</li>
</ol>
<p>The following information is important to the decision to advance a
technical report and therefore <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> be <a href=
"comm.html#confidentiality-change">publicly available</a>:</p>
<ul>
<li>Documentation of all changes to the technical report (e.g., by providing
"diffs" in addition to summaries of <a href="#substantive-change">substantive
changes</a>);</li>
<li>A statement that all requirements have been fulfilled or a listing of
unfulfilled requirements and the rationale for advancing the document though
some requirements have not been met.</li>
<li>Evidence of wide review and that dependencies with other groups have been
resolved;</li>
<li>All responses that <a href="policies.html#formal-address">formally address
issues</a> raised by reviewers;</li>
<li>All <a href="policies.html#FormalObjection">Formal Objections</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>Refer to <a href="/2003/05/Transitions">"How to Organize a Recommendation
Track Transition"</a> in the <a href="http://www.w3.org/Guide/">Member
guide</a> for practical guidance on satisfying these requirements.</p>
<h3>7.3 <a name="doc-reviews" id="doc-reviews">Reviews and Review
Responsibilities</a></h3>
<p>Experience shows that the following help build consensus around technical
reports:</p>
<ol>
<li>Frequent publication (see the <a href=
"groups.html#three-month-rule">Working Group "Heartbeat" requirement</a>).</li>
<li>Early review, to find errors quickly and decrease the chances of diverging
technologies.</li>
<li>Wide review, including from other groups in and outside of W3C.</li>
</ol>
<p>A document receives review from the moment it is first published. Starting
with the First Public Working Draft until the start of a Last Call review, a
Working Group <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD</span> <a href=
"policies.html#formal-address">formally address</a> <em>any</em> substantive
review comment about a technical report and <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD</span>
do so in a timely manner.</p>
<p>Starting with a Last Call review up to the transition to Proposed
Recommendation, a Working Group <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> <a href=
"policies.html#formal-address">formally address</a> <em>any</em> substantive
review comment about a technical report and <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD</span>
do so in a timely manner. When a Working Group requests to advance to Candidate
Recommendation or beyond, the Director expects positive documentation that
issues have been formally addressed (e.g., in an issues list that shows their
disposition).</p>
<p>The Director <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> formally address any
substantive issue raised by Advisory Committee representatives during Proposed
Recommendation, Proposed Edited Recommendation, and Proposed Rescinded
Recommendation review periods. The Working Group <span class=
"rfc2119">MUST</span> communicate to the Director (usually through the Team
Contact) any substantive issues raised during Proposed Recommendation, Proposed
Edited Recommendation, and Proposed Rescinded Recommendation review periods by
parties other than Advisory Committee representatives.</p>
<p>Reviewers <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD NOT</span> send substantive technical
reviews late on the Recommendation track. Reviewers <span class=
"rfc2119">SHOULD NOT</span> expect that a Working Group will readily make
<a href="#substantive-change">substantive changes</a> to a mature document. The
more evidence a Working Group can show of wide review, the less weight
substantive comments will carry when provided late on the Recommendation Track.
Worthy ideas <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD BE</span> recorded even when not
incorporated into a mature document.</p>
<p>The Working Group <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> be able to show evidence
of having attempted to respond to and satisfy reviewers. Reviewers <span class=
"rfc2119">MAY</span> register a <a href="policies.html#FormalObjection">Formal
Objection</a> any time they are dissatisfied with how a Working Group has
handled an issue.</p>
<p>A Working Group <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD</span> negotiate review
schedules with other groups expected to review a document, including relevant
<a href="liaisons.html#Liaisons">liaisons</a>.</p>
<p>There are two formal review periods with fixed durations when advancing to
Recommendation: after a Last Call announcement and after a Call for Review of a
Proposed Recommendation. Out of consideration for the Working Group, reviewers
<span class="rfc2119">SHOULD</span> send their comments early in a review
period. A Working Group <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD NOT</span> start a new
review before the scheduled end of an ongoing review (e.g., do not start a new
Last Call review before the scheduled end of an ongoing Last Call review).</p>
<p>Ordinarily, reviewers <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD NOT</span> raise
substantive technical issues about a technical report after the end of a Last
Call review period. However, this does occur, and as stated above, a Working
Group's requirement to formally address those issues extends until the start of
a Proposed Recommendation review period. However, to allow the Working Group to
make progress on a technical report, the Working Group <span class=
"rfc2119">MAY</span> decline to make substantive changes to address issues
raised between the end of a Last Call review period and publication of a
Recommendation. A reviewer <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> register a <a href=
"policies.html#FormalObjection">Formal Objection</a>.</p>
<p>Advisory Committee representatives <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD NOT</span>
(but <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span>) raise new substantive technical issues
during a Proposed Recommendation review period. The Director <span class=
"rfc2119">MAY</span> respond to the reviewer after the close of the Proposed
Recommendation review period. <strong>Note:</strong> It may be necessary to
<a href="comm.html#confidentiality-change">change confidentiality level</a>
when conveying issues raised by Advisory Committee representatives to the
Working Group.</p>
<p>During review by the Members, the Working Group <span class=
"rfc2119">SHOULD</span> also <a href="policies.html#formal-address">formally
address</a> informed and relevant issues raised outside the Advisory Committee
(e.g., by the public or another W3C Working Group), and report them to the
Director in a timely fashion.</p>
<p>When a Working Group receives a substantive issue after the end of Proposed
Recommendation review period, the Working Group <span class=
"rfc2119">MUST</span> respond to the reviewer but <span class=
"rfc2119">MAY</span> decline to <a href="policies.html#formal-address">formally
address</a> the issue. In this case, the Working Group <span class=
"rfc2119">MAY</span> consider the issue as part of tracking <a href=
"#errata">errata</a>.</p>
<h3>7.4 <a name="rec-advance" id="rec-advance">Advancing a Technical Report to
Recommendation</a></h3>
<p>W3C follows these steps when advancing a technical report to
Recommendation.</p>
<ol>
<li><a href="#first-wd">Publication of the First Public Working Draft</a>.</li>
<li><a href="#last-call">Last Call announcement</a></li>
<li><a href="#cfi">Call for Implementations</a>. <strong>Note:</strong> The
Director <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> permit the Working Group to skip this
step if the entrance criteria for the next step have already been
satisfied.</li>
<li><a href="#cfr">Call for Review of a Proposed Recommendation</a>.</li>
<li><a href="#rec-publication">Publication as a Recommendation</a>.</li>
</ol>
<p>In general, Working Groups embark on this journey with the intent of
publishing one or more Recommendations. However, W3C <span class=
"rfc2119">MAY</span> <a href="#tr-end">end work on a technical report</a> at
any time, or <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> require a Working Group to
conduct <a href="#return-to-wg">further work</a>, possibly repeating one or
more steps.</p>
<p>Between publication of the First Public Working Draft and Last Call
announcement, a Working Group publishes revisions that generally include
substantive changes. Between any two steps after a Last Call announcement, the
Working Group <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> publish a new draft of the
technical report at the same maturity level provided there are no <a href=
"#substantive-change">substantive changes</a> since the earlier step.</p>
<p>The Team <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> notify the <a href=
"organization.html#AC">Advisory Committee</a> and other W3C groups of a
revision to a Candidate Recommendation or Proposed Recommendation.</p>
<p>These steps of the technical report development process can take
considerable time, so participants are encouraged to read the <a href=
"http://www.w3.org/2002/05/rec-tips">tips on getting to Recommendation
faster</a> [<a href="refs.html#ref-rec-tips">PUB27</a>].</p>
<p>Refer to <a href="/2003/05/Transitions">"How to Organize a Recommendation
Track Transition"</a> in the <a href="http://www.w3.org/Guide/">Member
guide</a> for practical information about preparing for the reviews and
announcements of the various steps.</p>
<h4>7.4.1 <a name="first-wd" id="first-wd">First Public Working Draft</a></h4>
<p>Document maturity level: <a href="#RecsWD">Working Draft</a>.</p>
<p>Announcement: The Director <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> announce the
first Working Draft publication to other W3C groups and to the public.</p>
<p>Purpose: The publication of the First Public Working Draft is a signal to
the community to begin reviewing the document. See <a href=
"http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Patent-Policy/#sec-exclusion-with">section 4.1 of
the W3C Patent Policy</a> [<a href="refs.html#ref-patentpolicy">PUB33</a>] for
information about the policy implications of the First Public Working
Draft.</p>
<p>Entrance criteria: The Chair <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> record the
group's decision to request advancement. Since this is the first time that a
document with this short name appears in the Technical Reports index, Director
approval is <span class="rfc2119">REQUIRED</span> for the transition.</p>
<p>Ongoing work: After publication of the First Public Working Draft, the
Working Group generally revises the technical report (see the <a href=
"groups.html#three-month-rule">Working Group "Heartbeat" Requirement</a>) in
accordance with its charter.</p>
<p>In order to make Working Drafts available to a wide audience early in their
development, the requirements for publication of a Working Draft are limited to
an agreement by a chartered Working Group to publish the technical report and
satisfaction of the Team's <a href=
"http://www.w3.org/Guide/pubrules">Publication Rules</a> [<a href=
"refs.html#ref-pubrules">PUB31</a>]. Consensus is not a prerequisite for
approval to publish; the Working Group <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> request
publication of a Working Draft even if it is unstable and does not meet all
Working Group requirements.</p>
<p>Working Groups <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD</span> encourage early and wide
review of the technical report, within and outside of W3C, especially from
other Working Groups with dependencies on the technical report. Advisory
Committee representatives <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD</span> encourage review
within their organizations as early as First Public Working Draft, i.e., before
a <a href="#last-call">Last Call announcement</a> and <em>well before</em> a
<a href="#cfr">Call for Review of a Proposed Recommendation</a>.</p>
<p>The Working Group <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD</span> be responsive to and
facilitate ongoing review by addressing issues in a timely manner and clearly
indicating changes between drafts (e.g., by providing "diffs" and summaries of
<a href="#substantive-change">substantive changes</a>).</p>
<p>Possible next steps:</p>
<ul>
<li>Forward: <a href="#last-call">Last Call announcement</a>, generally done
after a series of Working Drafts.</li>
<li>Otherwise: <a href="#tr-end">end work</a></li>
</ul>
<h4>7.4.2 <a name="last-call" id="last-call">Last Call Announcement</a></h4>
<p>Document maturity level: <a href="#RecsWD">Working Draft</a>.</p>
<p>Announcement: The Working Group <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> announce
the Last Call to other W3C groups and to the public. A Last Call announcement
<span class="rfc2119">MUST</span>:</p>
<ol>
<li>specify the deadline for review comments;</li>
<li>identify known dependencies and solicit review from all dependent Working
Groups;</li>
<li>solicit public review.</li>
</ol>
<p>Purpose: A Working Group's Last Call announcement is a signal that:</p>
<ul>
<li>the Working Group believes that it has satisfied its relevant technical
requirements (e.g., of the charter or requirements document) in the Working
Draft;</li>
<li>the Working Group believes that it has satisfied significant dependencies
with other groups;</li>
<li>other groups <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD</span> review the document to
confirm that these dependencies have been satisfied.</li>
</ul>
<p>In general, a Last Call announcement is also a signal that the Working Group
is planning to advance the technical report to later maturity levels.</p>
<p>A Working Group <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD</span> work with other groups
prior to a Last Call announcement to reduce the risk of surprise at Last
Call.</p>
<p>Ideally, after a Last Call announcement, a Working Group receives only
indications of support for the document, with no proposals for substantive
change. In practice, Last Call announcements generate comments that sometimes
result in substantive changes to a document. A Working Group <span class=
"rfc2119">SHOULD NOT</span> assume that it has finished its work by virtue of
issuing a Last Call announcement.</p>
<p>Entrance criteria: Before announcing a Last Call, the Working Group
<span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> do all of the following:</p>
<ol>
<li>Record the group's decision to request advancement.</li>
<li>Fulfill the relevant requirements of the Working Group charter and those of
any accompanying requirements documents, or report which relevant requirements
have not been fulfilled.</li>
<li>Indicate which dependencies with other groups the Working Group believes it
has satisfied, and report which dependencies have not been satisfied.</li>
</ol>
<p>Duration of the review: The announcement begins a review period that
<span class="rfc2119">SHOULD</span> last at least <span class=
"time-interval">three weeks</span> but <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> last
longer if the technical report is complex or has significant external
dependencies.</p>
<p>Ongoing work: During the review period, the Working Group solicits and
responds to comments from the Team, the Members, other W3C groups, and the
public.</p>
<p>It is important to ensure the proper integration of a technical report in
the international community. Starting at this step in the Recommendation
process, the technical report <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD</span> include a
statement about how the technology relates to existing international standards
and to related work outside of W3C.</p>
<p>Possible next steps:</p>
<ul>
<li>Forward: <a href="#cfi">Call for Implementations</a> or <a href="#cfr">Call
for Review of a Proposed Recommendation</a></li>
<li>Otherwise: <a href="#return-to-wg">return to Working Group</a> or <a href=
"#tr-end">end work</a></li>
</ul>
<h4>7.4.3 <a name="cfi" id="cfi">Call for Implementations</a></h4>
<p>Document maturity level: <a href="#RecsCR">Candidate Recommendation</a>.</p>
<p>Announcement: The Director <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> announce the
Call for Implementations to the <a href="organization.html#AC">Advisory
Committee</a>.</p>
<p>Purpose: At this step, W3C believes the technical report is stable and
appropriate for implementation. The technical report <span class=
"rfc2119">MAY</span> still change based on implementation experience.</p>
<p>Entrance criteria: The Director calls for implementation when satisfied that
the Working Group has fulfilled the <a href="#transition-reqs">general
requirements for advancement</a>.</p>
<p>The Working Group is <span class="rfc2119">NOT REQUIRED</span> to show that
a technical report has two independent and interoperable implementations as
part of a request to the Director to announce a Call for Implementations.
However, the Working Group <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD</span> include a report
of present and expected implementations as part of the request.</p>
<p>In the Call for Implementations, the Working Group <span class=
"rfc2119">MAY</span> identify specific features of the technical report as
being "<a name="at-risk-feature" id="at-risk-feature">features at risk</a>."
General statements such as "We plan to remove any unimplemented feature" are
not acceptable; the Working Group <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> precisely
identify any features at risk. Thus, in response to a Call for Implementations,
reviewers can indicate whether they would register a <a href=
"policies.html#FormalObjection">Formal Objection</a> to the decision to remove
the identified features.</p>
<p>After gathering implementation experience, the Working Group <span class=
"rfc2119">MAY</span> remove features from the technical report that were
identified as being "at risk" and request that the Director <a href="#cfr">Call
for Review of a Proposed Recommendation</a>. If the Working Group makes other
<a href="#substantive-change">substantive changes</a> to the technical report,
the Director <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> return it to the Working Group
for <a href="#return-to-wg">further work</a>.</p>
<p>The request to the Director to advance a technical report to Candidate
Recommendation <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> indicate whether the Working
Group expects to satisfy any Proposed Recommendation entrance criteria beyond
the default requirements (described below).</p>
<p>Advisory Committee representatives <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> <a href=
"acreview.html#ACAppeal">appeal</a> the decision to advance the technical
report.</p>
<p>Duration of the implementation period: The announcement <span class=
"rfc2119">MUST</span> indicate a minimal duration, before which the Working
Group <span class="rfc2119">MUST NOT</span> request a <a href="#cfr">Call for
Review of a Proposed Recommendation</a>; this minimal duration is designed to
allow time for comment. The announcement <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD</span>
also include the Working Group's estimate of the time expected to gather
sufficient implementation data.</p>
<p>Possible next steps:</p>
<ul>
<li>Forward: <a href="#cfr">Call for Review of a Proposed
Recommendation</a></li>
<li>Otherwise: <a href="#return-to-wg">return to Working Group</a> or <a href=
"#tr-end">end work</a></li>
</ul>
<h4>7.4.4 <a name="cfr" id="cfr">Call for Review of a Proposed
Recommendation</a></h4>
<p>Document maturity level: <a href="#RecsPR">Proposed Recommendation</a>.</p>
<p>Announcement: The Director <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> announce the
Call for Review to the <a href="organization.html#AC">Advisory
Committee</a>.</p>
<p>Purpose: At this step, W3C seeks endorsement of the stable technical report.
The outcome of this review is taken as an indication of the organization's
support for the technical report.</p>
<p>Entrance criteria: The Director calls for review when satisfied that the
Working Group has:</p>
<ol>
<li>Fulfilled the <a href="#transition-reqs">general requirements for
advancement</a>;</li>
<li>Shown that each feature of the technical report has been implemented.
Preferably, the Working Group <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD</span> be able to
demonstrate two interoperable implementations of each feature. If the Director
believes that immediate Advisory Committee review is critical to the success of
a technical report, the Director <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> accept to
Call for Review of a Proposed Recommendation even without adequate
implementation experience;</li>
<li>Satisfied any other announced entrance criteria (e.g., any included in the
request to advance to Candidate Recommendation, or announced at Last Call if
the Working Group does not intend to issue a Call for Implementations).</li>
</ol>
<p>Advisory Committee representatives <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> <a href=
"acreview.html#ACAppeal">appeal</a> the decision to advance the technical
report.</p>
<p>Duration of the review: The announcement begins a review period that
<span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> last at least <span class=
"time-interval">four weeks</span>.</p>
<p>Ongoing work: During the review period, the Working Group requests
endorsement and support from Members (e.g., testimonials as part of a press
release).</p>
<p>Possible next steps:</p>
<ul>
<li>Forward: Publication as a <a href="#rec-publication">W3C
Recommendation</a></li>
<li>Otherwise: <a href="#cfi">Call for Implementations</a> if there are
questions related to implementation, <a href="#return-to-wg">return to Working
Group</a> or <a href="#tr-end">end work</a></li>
</ul>
<h4>7.4.5 <a name="rec-publication" id="rec-publication">Publication of a W3C
Recommendation</a></h4>
<p>Document maturity level: <a href="#RecsW3C">Recommendation</a>.</p>
<p>Announcement: The Director <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> announce the
publication of a W3C Recommendation to the <a href=
"organization.html#AC">Advisory Committee</a>.</p>
<p>Purpose: W3C publishes Recommendations when it believes that the ideas in
the technical report are appropriate for widespread deployment and that they
promote <a href="http://www.w3.org/Consortium/#mission">W3C's mission</a>.</p>
<p>Entrance criteria: The Director publishes a W3C Recommendation when
satisfied that there is significant support for the technical report from the
Advisory Committee, the Team, W3C Working Groups, and the public. The decision
to advance a document to Recommendation is a <a href=
"acreview.html#def-w3c-decision">W3C decision</a>.</p>
<p>If there was any <a href="policies.html#def-Dissent">dissent</a> during the
Member review, Advisory Committee representatives <span class=
"rfc2119">MAY</span> <a href="acreview.html#ACAppeal">appeal</a> the decision
to publish the Recommendation.</p>
<p>Possible next steps:</p>
<ul>
<li>End state: A technical report <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> remain a
Recommendation indefinitely</li>
<li>Otherwise: <a href="#rec-modify">Modification of a Recommendation</a> or
<a href="#rec-rescind">Rescinding a Recommendation</a></li>
</ul>
<p>The Director <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> submit a W3C Recommendation to
another standards body for adoption and formal approval by that body.</p>
<h4>7.4.6 <a name="return-to-wg" id="return-to-wg">Returning a Document to a
Working Group for Further Work</a></h4>
<p>A technical report is returned to a Working Group for further work in either
of the following situations:</p>
<ol>
<li>The Working Group makes <a href="#substantive-change">substantive
changes</a> to the technical report at any time after a <a href=
"#last-call">Last Call announcement</a> and prior to <a href=
"#rec-publication">Publication as a Recommendation</a>, <strong>except</strong>
when the changes involve the removal of <a href="#at-risk-feature">features at
risk</a> identified in a <a href="#cfi">Call for Implementations</a>. In the
case of substantive changes, the Working Group <span class=
"rfc2119">MUST</span> republish the technical report as a Working Draft.</li>
<li>The Director requires the Working Group to address important issues raised
during a review or as the result of implementation experience. In this case,
Director <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> request that the Working Group
republish the technical report as a Working Draft, even if the Working Group
has not made <a href="#substantive-change">substantive changes</a>.</li>
</ol>
<p>The Director <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> inform the <a href=
"organization.html#AC">Advisory Committee</a> and group Chairs when a technical
report has been returned to a Working Group for further work.</p>
<p>After republication as a Working Draft, the next forward step available to
the Working Group is a <a href="#last-call">Last Call announcement</a>. The
Last Call announcement <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> occur at the same time
as the publication of the Working Draft.</p>
<p>The Director <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> ask the Working Group to
republish a technical report as a Candidate Recommendation. At the same time as
publication, the Director issues a <a href="#cfi">Call for
Implementations</a>.</p>
<h3>7.5 <a name="tr-end" id="tr-end">Ending Work on a Technical Report</a></h3>
<p>Work on a technical report <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> cease at any
time. When a Working Group completes its work on a technical report, it
publishes it either as a Recommendation or a Working Group Note. For example, a
Working Group might publish several Working Drafts of a requirements document,
and then indicate that it no longer plans to work on the requirements document
by publishing a Working Group Note.</p>
<p>Work <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> also cease because W3C determines that
it cannot productively carry the work any further. For instance, the Director
might <a href="groups.html#GeneralTermination">close a Working Group</a>, the
participants might lose interest in a technical report, or the ideas might be
subsumed by another technical report. If W3C decides to discontinue work on a
technical report before completion, the technical report <span class=
"rfc2119">SHOULD</span> be published as a Working Group Note.</p>
<p>Possible next steps:</p>
<ul>
<li>End state: A technical report <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> remain a
Working Group Note indefinitely</li>
<li>Otherwise: A Working Group <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> resume work on
the technical report as a Working Draft</li>
</ul>
<h3>7.6 <a name="rec-modify" id="rec-modify">Modifying a W3C
Recommendation</a></h3>
<p>W3C makes every effort to maintain its Recommendations (e.g., by tracking
errata, providing test-bed applications, and helping to create test suites) and
to encourage widespread implementation. The following sections discuss the
management of errors and the process for making normative changes to a
Recommendation.</p>
<h4>7.6.1 <a name="errata" id="errata">Errata Management</a></h4>
<p>Tracking errors is an important part of a Working Group's ongoing care of a
Recommendation; for this reason, the scope of a Working Group charter generally
allows time for work after publication of a Recommendation. In this Process
Document, the term "erratum" (plural "errata") refers to any class of mistake,
from mere editorial to a serious error that may affect the conformance with the
Recommendation by software or content (e.g., content validity).
<strong>Note:</strong> Before a document becomes a Recommendation, the W3C
Process focuses on <a href="#substantive-change">substantive changes</a> (those
related to prior reviews). After a document has been published as
Recommendation, the W3C Process focuses on those changes to a technical report
that might affect the conformance of content or deployed software.</p>
<p>Working Groups <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> track errata on an "errata
page." An errata page is a list of enumerated errors, possibly accompanied by
corrections. Each Recommendation links to an errata page; see the Team's
<a href="http://www.w3.org/Guide/pubrules">Publication Rules</a>.</p>
<p>A correction is first "proposed" by the Working Group. A correction becomes
normative -- of equal status as the text in the published Recommendation --
through one of the processes described below. An errata page <span class=
"rfc2119">MAY</span> include both proposed and normative corrections. The
Working Group <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> clearly identify which
corrections are proposed and which are normative.</p>
<p>A Working Group <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD</span> keep their errata pages
up-to-date, as errors are reported by readers and implementers. A Working Group
<span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> report errata page changes to interested
parties, notably when corrections are proposed or become normative, according
to the Team's requirements. For instance, the Team might set up a mailing list
per Recommendation where a Working Group reports changes to an errata page.</p>
<h4>7.6.2 <a name="correction-classes" id="correction-classes">Classes of
Changes to a Recommendation</a></h4>
<p>This document distinguishes the following classes of changes to a
Recommendation.</p>
<dl>
<dt>1. No changes to text content</dt>
<dd>These changes include fixing broken links or invalid markup.</dd>
<dt>2. Corrections that do not affect conformance</dt>
<dd>Editorial changes or clarifications that do not change the technical
content of the specification.</dd>
<dt>3. Corrections that <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> affect conformance,
but add no new features</dt>
<dd>These changes <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> affect conformance to the
Recommendation. A change that affects conformance is one that:
<ol>
<li>turns conforming data, processors, or other conforming agents into
non-conforming agents, or</li>
<li>turns non-conforming agents into conforming ones, or</li>
<li>clears up an ambiguity or under-specified part of the specification in such
a way that an agent whose conformance was once unclear becomes clearly
conforming or non-conforming.</li>
</ol>
</dd>
<dt>4. New features</dt>
</dl>
<p>The first two classes of change require no technical review of the proposed
changes, although a Working Group <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> issue a Call
for Review. The modified Recommendation is published according to the Team's
requirements, including <a href="http://www.w3.org/Guide/pubrules">Publication
Rules</a> [<a href="refs.html#ref-pubrules">PUB31</a>].</p>
<p>For the third class of change, W3C requires:</p>
<ol>
<li>Review by the community to ensure the technical soundness of proposed
corrections.</li>
<li>Timely publication of the edited Recommendation, with corrections
incorporated.</li>
</ol>
<p>For the third class of change, the Working Group <span class=
"rfc2119">MUST</span> either:</p>
<ol>
<li>Request that the Director issue a <a href="#cfr-edited">Call for Review of
an Edited Recommendation</a>, or</li>
<li>Issue a <a href="#cfr-corrections">Call for Review of Proposed
Corrections</a> that have not been incorporated into an edited draft (e.g.,
those listed on an errata page). After this review, the Director <span class=
"rfc2119">MAY</span> announce that the proposed corrections are normative.</li>
</ol>
<p>While the second approach is designed so that a Working Group can establish
normative corrections quickly, it does not obviate the need to incorporate
changes into an edited version of the Recommendation. In particular, when
corrections are numerous or complex, integrating them into a single document is
important for interoperability; readers might otherwise interpret the
corrections differently.</p>
<p>For the fourth class of change (new features), W3C <span class=
"rfc2119">MUST</span> follow the full process of <a href=
"#rec-advance">advancing a technical report to Recommendation</a>.</p>
<h4>7.6.3 <a name="cfr-edited" id="cfr-edited">Call for Review of an Edited
Recommendation</a></h4>
<p>Document maturity level: <a href="#ProposedEditedRec">Proposed Edited
Recommendation</a>.</p>
<p>Announcement: The Director <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> announce the
Call for Review to other W3C groups, the public, and the <a href=
"organization.html#AC">Advisory Committee</a>. The announcement <span class=
"rfc2119">MUST</span> clearly indicate that this is a proposal to edit a
Recommendation and <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span>:</p>
<ol>
<li>specify the deadline for review comments;</li>
<li>identify known dependencies and solicit review from all dependent Working
Groups;</li>
<li>solicit public review.</li>
</ol>
<p>Purpose: At this step, W3C seeks confirmation of proposed corrections to a
Recommendation.</p>
<p>Entrance criteria: The Director calls for review when satisfied that, with
respect to changes to the document, the Working Group has fulfilled the same
entrance criteria as for a <a href="#cfr">Call for Review of a Proposed
Recommendation</a> (e.g., the Working Group can show implementation experience
that supports the changes). In the request to advance to this status, the
Working Group <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> report any substantive issues
about the technical report that have not been resolved.</p>
<p>Advisory Committee representatives <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> <a href=
"acreview.html#ACAppeal">appeal</a> the decision to advance the technical
report.</p>
<p>Duration of the review: The announcement begins a formal Advisory Committee
review period that <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> last at least <span class=
"time-interval">four weeks</span>.</p>
<p>Ongoing work: During the review period, the Working Group solicits and
responds to comments from the Team, the Members, other W3C groups, and the
public.</p>
<p>Possible next steps:</p>
<ul>
<li>Forward: <a href="#rec-publication">Publication of a W3C
Recommendation</a></li>
<li>Otherwise, the Recommendation remains unchanged and two steps are possible:
<a href="#return-to-wg">return to Working Group</a> or <a href="#tr-end">end
work</a></li>
</ul>
<h4>7.6.4 <a name="cfr-corrections" id="cfr-corrections">Call for Review of
Proposed Corrections</a></h4>
<p>Document maturity level: A Recommendation, plus a list of proposed
corrections. The Working Group <span class="rfc2119">SHOULD</span> also include
a detailed description of how the Working Group plans to change the text of the
Recommendation for each proposed correction.</p>
<p>Announcement: The Working Group <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> announce
the Call for Review to other W3C groups, the public, and the <a href=
"organization.html#AC">Advisory Committee</a>. This is not a formal <a href=
"acreview.html#ACReview">Advisory Committee review</a>. However, the
announcement <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> clearly indicate that this is a
proposal to make normative corrections to the Recommendation and <span class=
"rfc2119">MUST</span>:</p>
<ol>
<li>specify the deadline for review comments;</li>
<li>identify known dependencies and solicit review from all dependent Working
Groups;</li>
<li>solicit public review.</li>
</ol>
<p>Purpose: At this step, W3C seeks confirmation of proposed corrections to a
Recommendation.</p>
<p>Entrance criteria: The Working Group calls for review when, with respect to
changes to the document, the group has fulfilled the same entrance criteria as
for a <a href="#cfr">Call for Review of a Proposed Recommendation</a>.</p>
<p>Duration of the review: The announcement begins a review period that
<span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> last at least <span class=
"time-interval">four weeks</span>.</p>
<p>Ongoing work: Same as for a <a href="#cfr-edited">Proposed Edited
Recommendation</a>.</p>
<p>If there are no <a href="policies.html#FormalObjection">Formal
Objections</a> to the proposed corrections, W3C considers them normative. The
Working Group <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> report Formal Objections to the
Director, who assesses whether there is sufficient consensus to declare the
proposed corrections to be normative.</p>
<p>Possible next steps:</p>
<ul>
<li>Forward: <a href="#rec-publication">Publication of a W3C
Recommendation</a>. In order for the corrections to remain normative, the
Working Group <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> incorporate them into an edited
Recommendation. The Working Group <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> publish the
revised Recommendation within <span class="time-interval">six months</span>
after the end of the review or secure an extension from the Director. Prior to
publication, if the Working Group makes further changes to the technical report
that affect conformance, the Working Group <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span>
request a <a href="#cfr-edited">Call for Review of an Edited
Recommendation</a>.</li>
<li>Otherwise: The Recommendation remains unchanged and two steps are possible:
<a href="#return-to-wg">return to Working Group</a> or <a href="#tr-end">end
work</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>7.7 <a name="rec-rescind" id="rec-rescind">Rescinding a W3C
Recommendation</a></h3>
<p>At times, W3C <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> rescind an entire
Recommendation, for instance when W3C learns of significant errors in the
Recommendation, when the Recommendation becomes outdated, or if W3C discovers
burdensome patent claims that affect implementers; see the <a href=
"http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Patent-Policy">W3C Patent Policy</a> [<a href=
"refs.html#ref-patentpolicy">PUB33</a>] and in particular <a href=
"http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Patent-Policy#sec-Requirements">section 5</a>
(bullet 10) and <a href=
"http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Patent-Policy#sec-PAG-conclude">section
7.5</a>.</p>
<p>To deprecate <em>part</em> of a Recommendation, W3C follows the process for
<a href="#rec-modify">modifying a Recommendation</a>.</p>
<p>Once W3C has published a Rescinded Recommendation, future W3C technical
reports <span class="rfc2119">MUST NOT</span> include normative references to
that technical report.</p>
<h4>7.7.1 <a name="proposed-rescinded-rec" id="proposed-rescinded-rec">Proposal
to Rescind a Recommendation</a></h4>
<p>Document maturity level: Recommendation, plus separate rationale for the
proposal to rescind.</p>
<p>Announcement: The Director <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> announce the
Proposal to Rescind a Recommendation to other W3C groups, the public, and the
<a href="organization.html#AC">Advisory Committee</a>. The announcement
<span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> clearly indicate that this is a Proposal to
Rescind a Recommendation and <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span>:</p>
<ol>
<li>specify the deadline for review comments;</li>
<li>identify known dependencies and solicit review from all dependent Working
Groups;</li>
<li>solicit public review.</li>
</ol>
<p>Purpose: At this step, W3C seeks confirmation of a Proposal to Rescind a
Recommendation.</p>
<p>Entrance criteria: The Director proposes that W3C rescind a Recommendation
when satisfied that there is sufficient reason.</p>
<p>Advisory Committee representatives <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> <a href=
"acreview.html#ACAppeal">appeal</a> the Proposal to Rescind the
Recommendation.</p>
<p>Duration of the review: The announcement begins a review period that
<span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> last at least <span class=
"time-interval">four weeks</span>.</p>
<p>Ongoing work: During the review period, the Working Group solicits and
responds to comments from the Team, the Members, other W3C groups, and the
public.</p>
<p>Possible next steps:</p>
<ul>
<li>Forward: <a href="#publication-rescinded-rec">Publication of a Rescinded
Recommendation</a></li>
<li>Otherwise: The Recommendation remains unchanged and two steps are possible:
<a href="#return-to-wg">return to Working Group</a> or <a href="#tr-end">end
work</a></li>
</ul>
<h4>7.7.2 <a name="publication-rescinded-rec" id=
"publication-rescinded-rec">Publication of a Rescinded Recommendation</a></h4>
<p>Document maturity level: <a href="#RescindedRec">Rescinded
Recommendation</a>.</p>
<p>Announcement: The Director <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> announce the
Publication of a Rescinded Recommendation to the <a href=
"organization.html#AC">Advisory Committee</a>.</p>
<p>Purpose: At this step, W3C indicates that it no longer endorses a previously
published Recommendation.</p>
<p>Entrance criteria: The Director publishes a Rescinded Recommendation when
satisfied that there is significant support from the Advisory Committee, the
Team, W3C Working Groups, and the public. The decision to advance a document to
Rescinded Recommendation is a <a href="acreview.html#def-w3c-decision">W3C
decision</a>.</p>
<p>The Team <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> publish one or more documents in
order to best communicate what has been rescinded and its relation to previous
Recommendations (e.g., the publication can be as simple as a cover sheet that
refers to a previously published Recommendation).</p>
<p>If there was any <a href="policies.html#def-Dissent">dissent</a> in the
Proposed Rescinded Recommendation reviews, Advisory Committee representatives
<span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> <a href="acreview.html#ACAppeal">appeal</a>
the decision to rescind the Recommendation.</p>
<p>Possible next step:</p>
<ul>
<li>End state: A technical report <span class="rfc2119">MAY</span> remain a
Rescinded Recommendation indefinitely</li>
</ul>
<h3>7.8 <a name="DocumentsGeneral" id="DocumentsGeneral">General Information
about Technical Reports</a></h3>
<p>Every document published as part of the technical report development process
<span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> be a public document. The <a href=
"http://www.w3.org/TR/">index of W3C technical reports</a> [<a href=
"refs.html#ref-doc-list">PUB11</a>] is available at the W3C Web site. W3C will
make every effort to make archival documents indefinitely available at their
original address in their original form.</p>
<p>Every document published as part of the technical report development process
<span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> clearly indicate its <a href=
"#maturity-levels">maturity level</a>.</p>
<p>Every technical report published as part of the technical report development
process is edited by one or more editors appointed by a Working Group Chair. It
is the responsibility of these editors to ensure that the decisions of the
group are correctly reflected in subsequent drafts of the technical report. An
editor for the TAG or Advisory Board who is not an elected or appointed
participant in that group <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> fulfill the same
participation requirements for that group, as a Member representative, Team
representative, or Invited Expert. All other W3C editors <span class=
"rfc2119">MUST</span> be participants in the group responsible for the
document(s) they are editing. Note that an editor is <span class="rfc2119">NOT
REQUIRED</span> to be a Team representative.</p>
<p>The Team is <span class="rfc2119">NOT REQUIRED</span> to publish a technical
report that does not conform to the Team's <a href=
"http://www.w3.org/Guide/pubrules">Publication Rules</a> (e.g., for <a name=
"DocumentName" id="DocumentName">naming</a>, style, and <a name=
"document-copyright" id="document-copyright">copyright requirements</a>). These
rules are subject to change. The Team <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> inform
group Chairs and the Advisory Board of any changes.</p>
<p>The Team reserves the right to reformat technical reports at any time so as
to conform to changes in W3C practice (e.g., changes to technical report styles
or the <a href="#DocumentStatus">document status section</a>).</p>
<p>The primary language for W3C technical reports is English. W3C encourages
the translation of its technical reports. <a href=
"http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Translation/">Information about translations of
W3C technical reports</a> [<a href="refs.html#ref-translations">PUB18</a>] is
available at the W3C Web site.</p>
<h4>7.8.1 <a name="DocumentStatus" id="DocumentStatus">Document Status
Section</a></h4>
<p>Each technical report <span class="rfc2119">MUST</span> include a section
about the status of the document. The status section <span class=
"rfc2119">SHOULD</span> explain why W3C has published the technical report,
expectations about next steps, who developed it, where to send comments about
it, whether implementation experience is being sought, any significant changes
from the previous version, why work on the technical report has ceased or been
subsumed, and any other relevant information or rationale.</p>
<p>The Team's <a href="http://www.w3.org/Guide/pubrules">Publication Rules</a>
include status section requirements for each maturity level.</p>
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