Data and Analysis Preservation, Recasting, and Reinterpretation

TL;DR

This paper advocates for systematic preservation of data, code, and derived products in particle physics to enable long-term reuse, maximizing scientific impact through analysis recasting and reinterpretation.

Contribution

It outlines the goals, benefits, challenges, and recommendations for preserving analysis data and code to facilitate future scientific reinterpretation in particle physics.

Findings

Preservation of data and code enhances long-term scientific reuse.

Analysis recasting enables reinterpretation of past experiments.

Technical and sociological challenges must be addressed for effective preservation.

Abstract

We make the case for the systematic, reliable preservation of event-wise data, derived data products, and executable analysis code. This preservation enables the analyses' long-term future reuse, in order to maximise the scientific impact of publicly funded particle-physics experiments. We cover the needs of both the experimental and theoretical particle physics communities, and outline the goals and benefits that are uniquely enabled by analysis recasting and reinterpretation. We also discuss technical challenges and infrastructure needs, as well as sociological challenges and changes, and give summary recommendations to the particle-physics community.