Lucy SonnerIEC Editing

IEC Academy 9 June 2020Webinar

Overview

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Keys to success

Rules and sources of information

A few essential notions

Workflows and communication

IEC Standard Template

• Technically correct

• Represents consensus at time of publishing

• Simple, precise style

• Qualified people who have not participated in its drafting are able to understand it

• Users able to determine whether a product, process, system, etc., conforms to its requirements

Keys to successful IEC publication

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• Time for planning: many experts, projects, and schedules to manage

• One document manager• One version (whole document or fragments): no parallel

versions! • Traceability and tracking of issues

• Communication: provide necessary information to enable next person in line to work effectively (background to decisions, particularities in the text, IT issues, etc.)

Keys to successful drafting

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• IEC publishes ≈600 documents/year and maintains a catalogue of >7 000 publications

• ISO, regional, and national bodies publish and maintain thousands of standards, too

• International Standards are highly interdependent• Tens of thousands of experts participate in

standardization efforts worldwide

Why drafting rules?

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ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2Common framework for all IEC and ISO documentsAim is to ensure each document: • is clear, precise, and

unambiguous• contributes to the consistent

and interdependent body of knowledge that IEC and ISO produce

https://www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs/

Rules and information

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Objectives

• Efficiency: common work methods allow experts to focus on technical content

• Ease of use: common understanding• Interoperability: standards work together• Clarity: common language and conventions• Translatability: make standards easier to translate

ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2

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Explanations of rulesRecommendations on drafting, layout, graphics and figuresUser guide on IEC Std TemplateTips on use of MS Word

Drafting IEC publications IEC websitehttps://www.iec.ch/standardsdev/resources/draftingpublications/

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Documents are edited thoroughly in latter stages of development (CDV onwards) Queries: • before starting a new

document, or• while developing it?

Editing assistance

10Your editor will be happy to help

• Common structure• Wording: provisions• Wording: Title and

Scope • Normative references• Terminology and

graphical symbols• Patent and copyright

issues

Writing standards: essentials

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Title

Foreword

Introduction

1 Scope

2 Normative references

3 Terms and definitions

# Symbols and abbreviated terms

# Technical content

Annexes

Bibliography

Common structure

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Users can open any IEC standard and find same structure

Wording: Title and Scope

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Concise description and delimitation of subject matter

Title• Overly broad? Unintentionally limit scope? Grindability with diamond pellets – Test method and clarification

Raw optical glass – Grindability with diamond pellets – Test method and clarification

General Particular

Wording: Title and Scope

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Title• Common series title requirementIEC 60947-1, Low voltage switchgear and controlgear – Part 1: General rulesIEC 60947-2, Low voltage switchgear and controlgear – Part 2: Circuit-breakers

Scope• Additional details to the title: defines subject of document,

including any exclusions • No background information or subject matter of other

documentsIntroduction

Language is subject to varying interpretations, which is why conventions exist, though they do not necessarily correspond to natural language

Connectors shall conform to the electrical characteristics specified by IEC 60603-7-1

Wiring of these connectors should take into account the wire and cable diameter of the cables defined in IEC 61156

Wording: provisions

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shall requirement

should recommendation

IEC 60512-26-100 may be used as an alternative to IEC 60512-27-100.

Use of this connector in corrosive atmospheric conditions can lead to failure of the locking mechanism.

Wording: provisions

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may permission

can possibility

List of publications cited as requirements in the text

Examples:

Connectors shall conform to the electrical characteristics specified by IEC 60603-7-1

Wiring of these connectors should take into account the wire and cable diameter of the cables defined in IEC 61156

Normative references clause

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Requirement: list in Normative references clause

Recommendation: list in Bibliography

References: dated if a specific element (e.g. clause, subclause, figure, table) from the publication is cited

Dimensions shall be in accordance with IEC 60793-2-50:2012, Table B.1

Test methods of IEC 61300-2-2 shall be used

Normative references

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Reference to a specific element dated

General reference undated

What can be cited in Normative references clause?

Normative references

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Published, publicly available documents

Drafts, private communications, etc.Documents not yet reached CDV stage

Common language and terms are one of the keys to our system.Check whether an acceptable entry already exists: avoid unnecessary multiplication of variations in the definition of terms.

http://www.electropedia.orgSee ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2: 2018, Clause 16 for a more complete

overview of the rules on terminology. Contact academy@iec.ch for further information and training on

terminology.

Terminology

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3.15casetable, bench or wall mounting enclosure in which electrical and/or electronic equipment can be housed

• Use internationally standardized symbols, e.g. from• IEC 60617 - Graphical Symbols for Diagrams• IEC 60417 and ISO 7000 - Graphical Symbols for Use on Equipment

• If need to create new standardized symbol, contact • IEC/TC 3 for symbols for diagrams • IEC/SC 3C and ISO/TC 145/SC 3 for symbols for use on equipment

Graphical symbols

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IEC 60417-5001A:2004-09 IEC 60417-5001B:2004-09 ISO 7000-0523:2004-01 IEC 60617-S00567:2001-07 IEC 60617-S00555:2001-07

• IEC maintains a database of patents relevant to its standards: http://patents.iec.ch/

• Any potential patent declarations shall be submitted to IEC as early as possible

• IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights

• Details concerning patents (holder, subject, licenses granted) are listed in introduction of the publication

Patents

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• Do not reproduce any material from an exterior source without the permission of the relevant copyright holder

• Provide the documented proof of any permissions obtained to the IEC Technical Officer

• When permission has been obtained:• specify the source 'Source: Table 3 of BSI 12345:1997'• mention the source document in the Bibliography• insert the following footnote:

Copyright

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Reproduced from [document], with the permission of [organization].

• Before CDV• CDV stage• FDIS stage• Publication stage

Workflows and communication with IEC Editing team

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• Documents are not edited by IEC before CDV stage• We can offer practical advice, if requested• Reminders:

• Use the IEC Std Template to structure your text from the start

• For maintenance of a previously published document, use the publication file of the previous edition as a starting point – your NC can provide this

Before CDV

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CDV stage

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Draft CDV

Translation of CDV

Translation before vote (6 weeks)

NC votes andcomments Edited CDV

NC vote and commenting IEC editing

Editing during voting period (12 weeks)

• During 12-week voting period, the document is:− formatted− edited (using MS Word track changes)

• Once a document has been submitted for CDV vote, do not continue work on parallel versions: the reference version is at the IEC

• Edited document is sent to the Secretary, who forwards it to Convenor/Project Leader

CDV stage

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• At end of CDV voting period, Secretary receives:− edited CDV, and− RVC document

CDV stage

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• Go through edited document: accept / reject / respond to proposed changes

• Insert changes resulting from NC comments (RVC)

• Submit resulting document as a draft FDIS

FDIS stage

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Initial evaluation of draft FDIS: • Has editor’s work from

CDV stage been taken into account?

• Have NC comments been taken into account?

• Major problems?• Unresolved patent claims,

copyright issues, etc.?

Back to TC

Is draft FDISacceptable?

Draft FDIS

Draft FDISfor editing

FDIS stage

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Draft FDIS forediting

IEC editing

Circulated FDISFDISvoting period

Questions to TC

• Draft FDISs are edited before being circulated (max. 12 weeks)

• Questions are sent to Secretary, who is responsible for obtaining answers

• Ideal time for replies: two weeks

• FDISs circulated after approval by IEC Technical Officer

During editing stages• All correspondence from IEC is sent to Secretary using

Projects dashboard• Secretary is responsible for:

− formal submission of drafts to IEC,− forwarding edited documents and any questions to

relevant Convenor/Project Leader and ensuring that appropriate answers are provided

Communication

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Why use IEC Standard Template?

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Structured content:style =

identity+function

Visually consistent formatting

Automation -easier to work

with and modify

• Document outline with instructions for authors• Styles for elements (i.e. headings, tables, figures, etc.)

− styles ensure that no formatting is necessary, provide repeatable results, give an identity to elements of the text

• Autotexts and structural elements − standard texts for elements such as the Foreword, − structured elements of text (e.g. terms) can be inserted and

completed

IEC template: contents

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Download IEC template and save it in MS Word’s Templates folder

Template file locations:File Options Advanced File locations

https://www.iec.ch/standardsdev/resources/draftingpublications/writing_formatting/IEC_template/iec_template.htm

Getting started with IEC template

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• Download User guide to IEC template – in addition to information about the template, it contains tips on working with Word

• Consult Drafting Publications pages on IEC website • For questions about IEC template and document

troubleshooting, contact layout@iec.ch• Upon request, we provide training on formatting and

editing via web conference

Further support for document preparation

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Lucy SonnerIEC Editing

IEC Academy 9 June 2020Webinar