1. INTRODUCTION
This document defines guidelines and procedures for Internet Research Task Force (IRTF) Research Groups. The IRTF focuses on longer term research issues related to the Internet while the parallel organization, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), focuses on the shorter term issues of engineering and standards making.
The Internet is a loosely-organized international collaboration of autonomous, interconnected networks; it supports host-to-host communication through voluntary adherence to open protocols and procedures defined by Internet Standards, a collection of which are commonly known as "the TCP/IP protocol suite". Development and review of potential Internet Standards from all sources is conducted by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). The Internet Standards Process is defined in [1].
The IRTF is a composed of a number of focused, long-term, small Research Groups. These groups work on topics related to Internet protocols, applications, architecture and technology. Research Groups are expected to have the stable long term membership needed to promote the development of research collaboration and teamwork in exploring research issues. Participation is by individual contributors, rather than by representatives of organizations.
The IRTF is managed by the IRTF Chair in consultation with the Internet Research Steering Group (IRSG). The IRSG membership includes the IRTF Chair, the chairs of the various Research Group and possibly other individuals ("members at large") from the research community.
The IRTF Chair is appointed by the IAB, the Research Group chairs are appointed as part of the formation of Research Groups (as detailed below) and the IRSG members at large are chosen by the IRTF Chair in consultation with the rest of the IRSG and on approval by the IAB.
In addition to managing the Research Groups, the IRSG may from time to time hold topical workshops focusing on research areas of importance to the evolution of the Internet, or more general workshops to, for example, discuss research priorities from an Internet perspective.
This document defines procedures and guidelines for formation and operation of Research Groups in the IRTF. The duties of the IRTF Chair, the Research Group Chairs and IRSG members are also described. Except for members at large of the IRSG, there is no general participation in the IRTF, only participation in a specific Research Group.
The document uses: "shall", "will", "must" and "is required" where it describes steps in the process that are essential, and uses: "suggested", "should" and "may" where guidelines are described that are not essential, but are strongly recommended to help smooth Research Group operation. The terms "they", "them" and "their" are used in this document as third-person singular pronouns.
1.1. IRTF approach
The reader is encouraged to study The Internet Standards Process [1] to gain a complete understanding of the philosophy, procedures and guidelines of the IETF and its approach to standards making.
The IRTF does not set standards, and thus has somewhat different and complementary philosophy and procedures. In particular, an IRTF Research Group is expected to be long-lived, producing a sequence of "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].