**MINOS Data Approval Procedure**

(V 2.1 Approved April 2007)

# GENERAL PRINCIPLE 

No MINOS data including Monte Carlo results will be presented outside
the collaboration without having been discussed in a public meeting of
the collaboration.

# DEFINITIONS

## Collaboration blessable material

Results that must be approved by the MINOS collaboration at a special
physics meeting. Collaboration bless-able material includes all plots,
tables, and conclusions derived from MINOS data, including detector
performance plots that use MINOS data. An exception is made for
operational plots required to run the experiment. Monte Carlo results
that show physics sensitivities of the experiment are included in this
category.

## **Group-approvable material**

These results must be approved by the relevant physics analysis group.
This category includes:

-   Monte Carlo results which do not show physics sensitivities.

-   Minor changes to previously approved data or presentation, which do
    not change conclusions.

## Blessing package

This consists of a MINOS note documenting the bless-able material and
containing numerical results, plots displaying the results, captions
which give adequate detail to explain the plots, and references to any
supporting MINOS notes necessary for non-experts to adequately
understand the analysis and results. Note that only references to MINOS
notes are to be used, not talks or informal presentations.

# APPROVAL PROCESS FOR COLLABORATION BLESSABLE MATERIAL

a.  Techniques and intermediate results for all work to be blessed must
    have been presented and discussed at least once at the appropriate
    physics group meeting.

b.  A complete blessing package (as defined in item 2.1) must be
    approved by the analysis group and the analysis coordinator (or
    designated deputy) before a collaboration blessing is scheduled.

c.  Before a collaboration blessing is scheduled, the proponents,
    convenors, and analysis coordinator must agree on specific plots and
    results that must be included, and on an action item list of things
    that need to be resolved before blessing. The convenors and analysis
    coordinator may request that another version of the blessing package
    be approved by the analysis group if changes required are
    substantive. If any required changes are determined not to be
    substantive, the convenors and analysis coordinator must agree that
    they have been resolved before posting of the blessing package.

d.  The blessing package to be approved by the collaboration must be
    posted AT LEAST TWO WEEKS before the special physics meeting.
    Posting includes all supporting documentation. Collaboration
    comments must be received by the authors, convenors, and analysis
    coordinator at least 48 hours before the special physics meeting.

e.  At the special physics meeting, comments from the collaboration on
    the blessing package will be addressed. If consensus from the
    collaboration is achieved, the material is forwarded to MAP.

f.  The MAP committee or a subcommittee designated by MAP meets either
    immediately, or, if necessary, after proponents and convenors make
    any final changes required at blessing presentation. MAP will then
    decide to:

    -   Bless result for distribution

    -   Require iteration of result before blessing.

# APPROVAL PROCESS FOR GROUP-APPROVABLE MATERIAL

a.  In the case of an update to a blessing package, appropriate
    revisions of the package are required. For all results a note must
    exist.

b.  Material to be approved must be posted 48 hours before approval by
    the analysis group.

c.  After approval by the analysis group the proponents, convenors, and
    analysis coordinator must agree on specific plots and results that
    are to be included, and on an action item list of things that need
    to be resolved before release.

d.  The analysis coordinator submits the material to the MAP chair, who
    has discretion to decide if material fulfils the criteria for
    group-approvable material or must go through the approval process
    for collaboration blessable material. Normally the MAP chair will
    have been notified well in advance that such a decision is required.

# BLIND ANALYSES

a.  Box-opening approval constitutes blessing results unless an error is
    found once the box is opened. The blessing procedure for
    collaboration blessable results above (section 3) must be followed
    with Monte Carlo versions of all plots.

b.  After the box is opened, one week is required before final approval
    by the MAP. If errors are found, a new blessing is required once
    they have been understood.

c.  If additional plots are required they must undergo a full blessing
    procedure. Minor revisions to plot formats made before the box
    opening may be submitted by the authors to the analysis group as
    group-approvable material.