Open Infrastructure

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Definition

Open Infrastructure refers to the set of technological tools and services that support and enable open science practices. It groups digital platforms and repositories that facilitate the dissemination, preservation, and accessibility of research outputs like publications, data, software, hardware, and more. Open Infrastructure fosters collaboration as well as the adoption of open standards, ensuring the transparency, reusability, reproducibility, and long-term sustainability of scientific research.

 

Goals at CERN

  • Enable Open Science: CERN aims to develop and maintain a robust and reliable Open Infrastructure that supports the principles of open science. This infrastructure serves as a foundation for the open exchange of research results and promotes collaboration among scientists worldwide.
  • Ensure Accessibility and Reusability: CERN strives to provide open and inclusive access to research outputs, data, software, and hardware. By implementing Open Infrastructure, CERN aims to make scientific knowledge easily discoverable, accessible, and reusable by the wider scientific community and society as a whole.
  • Facilitate Long-Term Preservation: CERN recognizes the importance of preserving research outputs and ensuring their long-term availability. CERN strives to include mechanisms for the secure storage, maintenance, and archiving of data, software, and hardware, ensuring their persistence and future usability.

Finally, by investing in and leveraging Open Infrastructure, CERN aims to empower researchers, accelerate scientific discovery, and contribute to the global open science movement, ultimately advancing our understanding of the universe and benefitting society as a whole.

 

Services and Activities

  • CERN Open Data Portal: The CERN Open Data Portal provides a centralized platform for sharing and accessing open datasets produced by CERN experiments. It enables anyone to explore, analyze, and reuse experimental data, fostering transparency and reproducibility.
  • CERN Analysis Preservation: This service focuses on the preservation and archiving of analysis workflows, code, and associated documentation. It ensures that researchers can revisit and reproduce analyses, promoting transparency and facilitating further scientific collaboration.
  • INSPIRE: CERN supports the development and maintenance of INSPIRE, a comprehensive aggregator that facilitates the discovery and access to scholarly articles, preprints, conference proceedings, and other scientific publications in the field of high-energy physics.
  • REANA: REANA (Reproducible Analysis) is a service that enables researchers to create reproducible computational analyses. It provides a platform for creating and sharing reusable analysis environments and workflows, ensuring transparency and reproducibility in scientific investigations.
  • CERN Document Server (CDS): CDS is CERN’s institutional repository and hosts a wide range of scientific documents, including research articles, technical reports, conference papers, and theses. It supports open access and provides a platform for disseminating CERN's scientific outputs.
  • Indico: Indico is a conference management system utilized by CERN for organizing scientific meetings, workshops, and conferences. It facilitates collaboration, document sharing, and event registration, promoting open and inclusive scientific exchanges.
  • Zenodo: Zenodo is a multidisciplinary repository for research outputs. It allows researchers world-wide to share and preserve their datasets, software, and publications, ensuring their long-term accessibility and promoting open and transparent research practices.
  • Open Hardware Repository: CERN's Open Hardware Repository provides a platform for sharing open hardware designs, including schematics, documentation, and associated software. It encourages collaboration and facilitates the dissemination of knowledge and innovation.

 

Key Contacts at CERN