Summary

This guide has been drawn up for editors and translators of leaflets, reports and internal regulations, all three of which are defined in the glossary at the back.

It explains the rules needed to draft and translate documents with a view to:

standardising presentation (layout):

the document presentation has been predefined and customised using "FrameMaker SGML". Hence leaflet writers are not to alter the layout when drafting leaflets. The purpose of this guide is to explain the predefined layout to writers so that they are aware of the extent of their options as regards, say, paragraph numbering categories, different bulleting levels, etc;

standardising content (structure):

in order for documents to be input in a standard format and ultimately accessed via Internet, they must have the same structure and new sections such as the summary and glossary need to be inserted. This editor's guide details all predefined structural elements for documents, defines these elements and their hierarchical position and sets out the guidelines required to standardise drafting of UIC leaflets;

ensuring compatibility of IT tools:

one of the factors slowing down production of UIC leaflets is the frequent lack of compatibility between files sent in by leaflet writers based at member railways and the IT tools available at UIC Headquarters. The editor's guide sets out rules steering the writers towards compatible software, while allowing a certain amount of leeway in deference to the writer's customary working environment;

formalising the production chain: one way of safeguarding the quality of UIC documents is to formalise the production sequence by implementing procedures designed to establish quality control at the various links in the sequence, e.g. checking consistency between the three language versions, proof-reading, formal authorisation to proceed with printing. This guide sets out the writers' role in the document production process.