Producing FAIR data

Producing FAIR data...

 

FAIR is an initiative launched by Force 11 bringing together academic communities, librarians, archivists, editors, and research financiers.

The goal of FAIR principles is to encourage findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability of shared data. Each FAIR principle is presented as a set of characteristics that must show data and metadata, to make their findability and reusability simpler, by humans as well as machines alike.

4 FAIR principles: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable.

Data cannot always be OPEN, but it should at least be FAIR.

The principle of Findable aims to simplify how data is found by humans and computer systems, by requiring a description and indexation of (meta)data. This describes and characterises a datum, such as its title, the names of its authors, its size, format, or date of creation.

  • F1 (Meta)data are assigned a globally unique and persistent identifier.
  • F2 Data are described with rich metadata.
  • F3 (Meta)data are registered or indexed in a searchable resource.
  • F4 Metadata clearly and explicitly include the identifier of the data they describe.

 

The principle of Accessible promotes sustainable conservation of (meta)data and makes accessing or downloading them easier, by specifying how they can be accessed (open or limited access) or used (under licence)..

  • A1 (Meta)data are retrievable by their identifier using a standardised communications protocol
    • A1.1 The protocol is open (accessible to all for free), free (without restrictive licences), and universally implementable
    • A1.2 The protocol allows for an authentication and authorisation procedure, where necessary
  • A2 Metadata are accessible, even when the data are no longer available

 

The principle of Interoperable can be broken down into being downloadable, usable, intelligible, and combinable with other data, by humans and machines. To ensure this, the (meta)data must follow a standard, common and shared schema to ensure compatibility. This principle advocates the use of standards such as ISO norms, regulations for structuring geographical information, the transcription of dates, etc., to avoid confusion between systems and misinterpretation of information.

  • I1 (Meta)data use a formal, accessible, shared, and broadly applicable language for knowledge representation.
  • I2 (Meta)data use vocabularies that follow FAIR principles
  • I3 (Meta)data include qualified references to other (meta)data

The principle of Reusable highlights the characteristics that make the data reusable for future research or other purposes (teaching, innovation, reproduction/transparency of science). Its primary aim is to make all results verifiable.

  • R1 (Meta)data are richly described with a plurality of accurate and relevant attributes
  • R1.1 (Meta)data are released with a clear and accessible data usage licence
  • R1.2 (Meta)data are associated with detailed provenance
  • R1.3 (Meta)data meet domain-relevant community standards