Joanne Yeomans

Archiving of particle physics data and results for long-term access and use

Preprints and published material are not the only output from high energy physics research that should be archived for future generations. Data are frequently not stored long-term and yet examples have arisen where such storage has been proved necessary. There are also lost possibilities for training, and indeed the records of science for future generations are diminished by the absence. Lessons learned from previous attempts and from other fields for which experimental data are successfully stored, can be used to build a storage paradigm for the future. Data from particle physics experiments are highly complex but a collaborative effort from IT staff, librarians, and physicists can perhaps have success. Issues requiring consideration include: who will have the right to access the data; how will access rights be managed; what level of data should be stored; for what length of time should the data be stored, and what additional information associated with the data must be collected. Technical problems associated with the storage and future use of analysis software must also be tackled.