Simplified likelihood for the re-interpretation of public CMS results

In this note, a procedure for the construction of simplified likelihoods for the re-interpretation of the results of CMS searches for new physics is presented. The procedure relies on the use of a reduced set of information on the background models used in these searches which can readily be provided by the CMS collaboration. A toy example is used to demonstrate the procedure and its accuracy in reproducing the full likelihood for setting limits in models for physics beyond the standard model. Finally, two representative searches from the CMS collaboration are used to demonstrate the validity of the simplified likelihood approach under realistic conditions.