Template IETF References and Terminology

This file is the pack's curated reference pool and terminology map for a real project pack.

Per-document briefs and drafts should inherit the split and hygiene rules here unless a document has a narrow reason to diverge.

Defaults already assumed

• references are split into normative and informative
• only references needed by a given draft should be cited in that draft
• each important locally defined term should have one owner
• support-only staged material belongs under sibling references/; it may help local work, but it does not replace this file

External reference pool

Separate references by weight so the project does not blur what is required for interoperability with what merely adds context.

Normative pool

List only the references a correct reader or implementer actually needs.

• [replace: RFC or standards document required by the draft]
• [replace: protocol grammar, media-type, data-model, or security reference]
• [replace: standards-track dependency that a cited mechanism relies on]

For each entry, consider adding a short purpose note such as — ABNF, — TLS requirements, or — media-type registration.

Informative pool

List supporting references that help orientation, history, examples, or implementation background.

• [replace: explanatory design document or historical note]
• [replace: background paper or prior draft]
• [replace: implementation documentation or reference manual]

Internal document dependency map

If the pack covers a suite, record how the documents depend on one another. If the pack covers only one document, use this section to map ownership against external RFCs or source corpora instead.

• [replace: foundational document] owns [replace: terminology, model, or format]
• [replace: dependent document] depends on [replace: foundational document] for [replace: definitions or behavior]
• [replace: document] may cite [replace: document] for [replace: narrow reason], but should not redefine it inline
• cross-reference the owning document instead of duplicating long normative definitions

Terminology ownership

Use this section to pin each core term to one owner so vocabulary does not drift.

Term or term family	Owner	Notes
[replace: term A]	[replace: owning document or external source]	[replace: imported or locally defined]
[replace: term B]	[replace: owning document or external source]	[replace: imported or locally defined]
[replace: term C]	[replace: owning document or external source]	[replace: imported or locally defined]

If a term is inherited from an external RFC instead of being locally defined, say so explicitly.

Citation hygiene defaults

These rules are usually reusable across IETF projects; note only project-specific exceptions.

• cite narrowly to the exact owning document or section when possible
• do not duplicate long definitions across documents just to avoid a cross-reference
• do not import the full normative pool into every draft; cite only what each draft uses
• informative implementation docs stay informative unless the authoritative corpus confirms the same rule

Open decisions the project owner must settle

Delete this section once the pack is customized.

• [replace: unresolved normative reference choice]
• [replace: unresolved terminology owner]
• [replace: unresolved dependency or split between documents]