OASIS TC specs style guide?

["Karl F. Best" <karl.best@oasis-open.org>]

Chairs:

As you're probably aware, I'm writing a non-normative Guidelines document to
give advice and interpretation on the OASIS TC Process and the operation of
OASIS TCs. (I've sent draft copies out to most of you at some point in time,
and will send out further copies as I'm able to make major improvements.)

I'm starting to think about what the Guidelines should say regarding
stylesheets for spec writing. OASIS has no official policy regarding the
format used for writing TC specs, and I'm not sure that we're ready to set
official policy on this any time in the near future, but I'd like to be able
to include some recommendations. (Based on TCs' experience with any
suggested formats perhaps we could set policy some time in the future.)

I would like to get your suggestions for various formats, stylesheets, etc.
that would be good recommendations for TCs writing specifications. Are there
good templates available from other standards organizations? Or how about
simply guidelines without templates? I suppose that it's easiest for TCs to
use MSWord, but what about writing in XML using OASIS' own DocBook?

Please send your suggestions that I can include in the Guidelines. To go a
step further, I wouldn't mind seeing a discussion on this list that may lead
to some sort of consensus about which is best to use.


(p.s. I'll probably bring up other issues for your input on topics for the
Guidelines, but I want to respect your time so won't send you everything at
once :-)

</karl>
=================================================================
Karl F. Best
OASIS - Director, Technical Operations
978.667.5115 x206
karl.best@oasis-open.org  http://www.oasis-open.org