The following is a summary of the ACIP Input Code Standards. We distinguish between a "transcription standard" and an "input code standard" in that ACIP input code standards, both for Sanskrit and Tibetan, are meant to be the most efficient, cost-effective, non-ambiguous methods of entering massive amounts of textual data, in a format which can easily be converted by users to their favorite transcription standard.

Please note that here and in the user manual, we use ACIP input code for Tibetan when referring primarily to how an item is to be entered from the keyboard in a search, or the like. In these cases, the Tibetan is found in curly braces, and the braces themselves are not to be entered on the keyboard in the examples. We use a lowercase, italic version when we are not referring principally to material to be typed in, so that it can fit more attractively into the English of the manual.

Any ACIP document can, within a few minutes, be converted to any transcription standard which a user desires. Because there are so many competing transcription standards (around 15 for Tibetan, last we counted), and because specialists are often passionately attached to their favorite one, we have seen our role as simply providing a base input code that can be converted to any other standard immediately. Note also that this document refers to ACIP input code standards, and not to the representation of pronunciation. ACIP treatment of Tibetan pronunciation in written materials is described in a separate document entitled "ACIP Standards for Simplified Tibetan and Sanskrit Pronunciation.". A number of files documenting the ACIP Input Code conventions can also be found under the directory "Translit" on the ACIP CD-ROM.

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