Abstract:

Computational reproducibility has become a crucial part of how data analytic results are understood and assessed both in and outside of academia. Less work, however, has explored whether these strict computational reproducibility criteria are necessary or sufficient to actually meet our needs as consumers of analysis results. Dr. Becker will show that in principle they are neither. He will present two inter-related veins of work. First, Dr. Becker will provide a conceptual reframing of the concepts of strict reproducibility, and the actions analysts take to ensure it, in terms of our ability to actually trust the results and the claims about the underlying data-generating systems they embody. Second, he will present a generalized conception of reproducibility by introducing the concepts of Currency, Comparability and Completeness and their oft-overlooked importance to assessing data analysis results.