Our Approach

By certifying the original execution of a computational workflow, consumers of research can trust results without necessarily repeating the computations. Instead of relying on researchers to self-certify, TRACE requires that the operators or owners of systems that researchers use adopt key practices to aid in the production of transparent and trustworthy artifacts.

This includes:

• Providing information about the computing platforms themselves, including specific details about how computational transparency is supported.

• Packaging and signing resulting artifacts along with records of their execution using a standard format.

The first is motivated by the need to convey to consumers of research information about the systems within which results were obtained, particularly if these systems cannot be directly accessed or assessed. The second is motivated by the need to provide a trustworthy record of computations to demonstrate how results were obtained.