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<h1>QA and Usability - Position Paper for the Usability Workshop</h1>

 <p>The quality of the specification has direct impact on the quality of
implementations. Quality encompasses <em>utility</em> which refers to the
usefulness of the specification to the intended users and
<em>objectivity</em> which focuses on the whether the specification is
presented in an accurate, clear, complete, and unbaised manner.</p>

<h2 id="id01">Quality Assurance at W3C</h2>

<p>The QA Framework defines a common framework for specifying conformance
requirements and definitions, and for representing the structure of the
document as schemata, both of which facilitate the generation of test
materials. The primary goal is to assist W3C Working Groups (WGs) by
providing guidelines and verifiable checkpoints for writing clearer, more
implementable, and better testable specifications (technical reports). Good
specifications lead to better implementations and foster the development of
conformance test suites and tools. Conforming implementations lead to
interoperability.</p>

      <p>This guideline was developed so that WGs can apply it in a common-sense
and workable manner. The QA Framework identifies the conformance requirements
and statements to be included or addressed in specifications as well as
addressing the anatomy of the specification. Conformance requirements are the
expressions that convey the criteria to be fulfilled in an implementation of
a specification. The conformance requirements are stated in a conformance
clause or statements within the specification. The anatomy of the
specification pertains to the method for writing the specification using
schemata. A specification represented by an XML grammar with sufficient
granularity of the information conveyed facilitates the generation of test
materials by providing the ability to point to, extract, query, manipulate
and/or automatically generate test materials. Given the symbiotic connection
between specification and test materials, this document also addresses the
intermixed QA-activities of specification authoring and test material
production and maintenance within the W3C process.</p>


      <p> The QA Framework documents are available in the <a href="http://www.w3.org/QA/WG/#docs">Table of Seven Documents</a>.</p>


      <p>The process for developing testable technical reports and specifications
is affected by QA-activities beyond those that are explicitly provided in
the framework. Specifically, the QA Framework documents are interrelated and
complement each other.</p>


      <p>The guidelines are intended for all Working Groups as well as developers
of conformance materials for W3C specifications. Not only are the Working
Groups the consumer of these guidelines they are also key contributors. The
guidelines capture the experiences, good practices, activities, and lessons
learned of the Working Groups and present them in a comprehensive, cohesive
set of documents for all to use and benefit from. The objective is to reuse
what works rather than reinvent and to foster consistency across the various
Working Group quality activities and deliverables.</p></div>
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<address class="author">
Created Date: 2002-09-23 by <a href="mailto:karl@w3.org">Karl Dubost</a><br />
Last modified $Date: 2011/12/16 02:57:04 $ by $Author: gerald $</address>
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