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Paper: Archiving Community Contributed Data in MAST
Volume: 376, Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems XVI
Page: 189
Authors: Levay, K.; Kamp, I.; Thompson, R.; Smith, M.; White, R.L.
Abstract: High-Level Science Products (HLSPs) are community contributed, fully processed (reduced, co-added, cosmic-ray cleaned etc.) images and spectra that are ready for scientific analysis. HLSPs also include files such as object catalogs, spectral atlases, and README files describing a given set of data. The Multi-mission Archive at the Space Telescope Science Institute (MAST) solicits HLSPs from the community by (a) sending letters to the PIs of approved Treasury, Archival Legacy and Large proposals on HST, (b) discussing with scientists and distributing flyers at conferences and meetings, (c) newsletter articles, and (d) communicating with authors after reading pertinent journal papers. We work with the scientist to ensure a proper data format (e.g. by using a FITS verifier), a proper description of the data reduction process and the entire data product in the form of an ASCII file (README), and (if necessary) web pages. The HLSPs are kept separate from the original MAST data, although information is preserved to indicate how one is related to the other. Several image-based HLSPs are already provided through the Virtual Observatory (VO) Simple Image Access Protocol (SIAP), and spectral data will eventually be available using the Simple Spectral Access Protocol.
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