Provenance refers to the practice of meticulously tracking data, as well as associated processing and analysis steps, to ensure the integrity and reproducibility of research findings. This involves documenting the origins of data, all transformations and manipulations it undergoes, and the analytical methods applied. By maintaining detailed records of these elements, researchers can provide a transparent path from raw data to final results, facilitating the validation and verification of the data by other researchers. This is critical in infectious disease research, where data accuracy and reliability are essential for effective disease monitoring, outbreak response, and public health decision-making.
