REVIEW PROCESS FOR INDEPENDENT SUBMISSIONS (ISR)

In the following, "DNP" means "Do Not Publish": inform the author and
the Ed Board of the reason, and remove from the queue.

The following process description is keyed to the FSM diagram.

ISR-INIT State (box 1): Initial Review

	The Independent Submissions Editor (ISE) receives request to 
        publish, adds document to queue, and initiates initial review.

	o  Request any missing information from author

	o  Send submission information to Independent Submissions 
           Editorial Board (ISEB)

	o  Check IANA Considerations for allowed registration

		(E.g., MIME types, URN type, ... registrations
		must be made by IESG)

	   	If unallowed registration, tell author and DNP.

	o  Is content below acceptable level or out of scope, or is
		document of sub-standard editorial quality?

		If fixable, ask author for new version, enter ISR-AUTH
		state (box 2) until receive revision.  If author is not
		responsive (e.g., for a month), DNP.

		If not fixable, enter ISR-AU-WAIT stat (box 10) to allow
		author time to request additional reviews.

	o  Possible conflict with IETF process?

		ISE may ask IESG for early RFC 5742 review (box 3), 
                in TO (Timeout) state.

		If result is "conflict", author may appeal to IAB for
		another opinion (boxes 4, 5).  If author does not
		appeal or IAB ignores it, DNP.
		
		If IESG says "OK" but has comments, send them
		to author and ISEB, then treat them as additional
		reviews in ISR-EVAL state (box 8).

	o  ISE may ask ISEB for advice.

	Otherwise, accept for review and enter ISR-FINDR state (box 6).


ISR-FINDR State (box 6): Find one or more reviewers

	o Locate appropriate reviewer(s) (e.g., from ISEB or suggested 
                by ISEB or by author, or by IAB if author requests).

		Since there may be more than one reviewer, this state is
		effectively a fork, spawning multiple review processes 
                in ISR-RWAIT state.  Join again in box 8, ISR-EVAL state.

	o Send reviewer.guide.txt to reviewer(s)

	o Ask for reasonable review deadline.


ISR-R-WAIT State (box 7): Review Wait

	o Reviewer may request anonymity.

	o Send received reviews to ISEB.

	o Send received reviews to author (possibly anonymously)

	o Timeout => ISR-FINDR state to find another reviewer.

>> ISR-EVAL State (box 8): Evaluate Reviews
	
	Collect ("join") reviews and evaluate them to reach "final"
	decision about publication.

	o If ISE or author needs another review, enter
		ISR-FINDR state to find another reviewer.

	o Reject: enter ISR-AU-WAIT state (box 10), tell author and ISEB 
		the reason for rejection.

		If author requests additional reviews and/or IAB review,
		enter ISR-FINDR state (box 6) in timely manner.
		Otherwise, DNP.

		Post reviews within N weeks unless author requests
		WITHDRAWN, in which case DNP.

	NOTE: Author can request WITHDRAWN at any stage.  Fact of
	withdrawal and general reason will be posted, but detailed
	reviews will not be posted unless author requests.

	o If IESG has not previously reviewed per RFC 3932, enter
	 	TO state and send message to IESG (box 11).

		If result is "conflict", author may appeal to IAB for
		another opinion (boxes 12, 13).

		IESG may take document into IETF Stream as WG or 
                individual submission.

		Otherwise, return to ISR-EVAL state to process any
		technical comments IESG members may have recorded.  
                This will generally lead to a Revise request (below).

	o Revise, i.e., accept with changes (most common case)

		Request new version from author, enter ISR-AUTH state 
                        (box 9).  If timeout, DNP.

			New version to same reviewer, if possible,
			or to RFC Editor if comments came from IESG.

			Enter ISR-R-WAIT (box 7) to await re-review

	o Otherwise, when all requested changes have been made and IESG
	  has declared no conflict, document advances to EDIT state.

		o  Inform author and ISEB.

		o  Post acceptance and reviews on web site.

General objective: author should know EVERYTHING about review of
their document, except identity of an anonymous reviewer.


2022 October 13