Re: RELAX Core has been approved. as ISO Technical Report

[Murata Makoto <mura034@attglobal.net>]

Tim Bray wrote:

> For those of us who are not erudite as to ISO process, does
> this mean that soon we will be able to refer to RELAX as
> "an ISO Standard"? -Tim

ISO Technical Reports are not ISO Standards.  I think that 
"an ISO specification" is appropriate.

The foreword (see below) explains technical reports.   Since 
fast-track submissions always become type 3, RELAX Core is type 3. 
 
Cheers,

Makoto

---------------------------------------------------------
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the 
International Electrotechnical Committee) together form a system for 
worldwide standardization as a whole. National bodies that are members 
of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards 
through technical committees established by the respective organizations 
to deal with particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC 
technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other 
international organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in 
liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work.

In the field of information technology, ISO and IEC have established 
a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC1.

The main task of a technical committee is to prepare International 
Standards but in exceptional circumstances, the publication of a technical 
report of one of the following types may be proposed:

- type 1, when the necessary support within the technical committee 
cannot be obtained for the publication of an International Standard, 
despite repeated efforts;

- type 2, when the subject is still under technical development requiring 
wider exposure;

- type 3, when a technical committee has collected data of a different 
kind from that which is normally published as an International Standard 
("state of the art",  for example).

Technical reports of types 1 and 2 are subject to review within three 
years of publication, to decide whether they can be transformed into 
International Standards. Technical reports of type 3 do not necessarily 
have to be reviewed until data they provide are considered to be no 
longer valid or useful.