A design framework and exemplar metrics for FAIRness

This article is a general introduction into the special issue of Archival Science on “archiving research data”. It summarizes the different contributions and gives an overview of the main issues in this special field of archiving. One of the leading questions is how and why research data archives differ from public record offices. In the past, the developments in these two worlds have been rather separate. There are however signs that they are converging in the digital world. In particular, this can be seen in the areas of metadata and Internet dissemination as these are strongly influenced by the rapid changes in information technology. These changes have also led to important new developments in the infrastructure of research data to which special attention is paid. New concepts such as collaboratories, data curation, Open Access and the Open Archives Initiative are discussed.

“FAIRness” - the degree to which a digital resource is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable - is aspirational, yet the means of reaching it may be defined by increased adherence to measurable indicators. We report on the production of a core set of semi-quantitative metrics having universal applicability for the evaluation of FAIRness, and a rubric within which additional metrics can be generated by the community. This effort is the output from a stakeholder-representative group, founded by a core of FAIR principles’ co-authors and drivers. We now seek input from the community to more broadly discuss their merit.

Big Data is a relative term, and Small Data can be equally important. Not only the volume of data defines if data is 'Big', but three more Vs characterise the term: velocity (speed of data generation and processing), veracity (referring to data quality) and variety. Perhaps the most defining is methodological: data becomes really big when new methods are needed to process and analyse it. In contrast, this paper demonstrates how even a tiny dataset can contribute to our understanding of the past, in this case of the historical geography of two provinces in Ottoman Greece in the 17th century. Graph analysis is used on a dataset of just 16 data pairs, illustrating the point that a close-up view of data complements the look from farther away at bigger data volumes.

In this paper we explore visually the structure of the collection of a digital research data archive in terms of metadata for deposited datasets. We look into the distribution of datasets over different scientific fields; the role of main depositors (persons and institutions) in different fields, and main access choices for the deposited datasets. We argue that visual analytics of metadata of collections can be used in multiple ways: to inform the archive about structure and growth of its collection; to foster collections strategies; and to check metadata consistency. We combine visual analytics and visual enhanced browsing introducing a set of web-based, interactive visual interfaces to the archive's collection. We discuss how text based search combined with visual enhanced browsing enhances data access, navigation, and reuse.

As an experiment, the Research Data Journal for the Humanities and Social Sciences (RDJ) has temporarily extended the usual format of the online journal with so-called ‘showcases’, separate web pages containing a quick introduction to a dataset, embedded multimedia, interactive components, and facilities to directly preview and explore the dataset described. The aim was to create a coherent hyper document with content communicated via different media (multimodality) and provide space for new forms of scientific publication such as executable papers (e.g. Jupyter notebooks). This paper discusses the objectives, technical implementations, and the need for innovation in data publishing considering the advanced possibilities of today's digital modes of communication. The data showcases experiment proved to be a useful starting point for an exploration of related developments within and outside the humanities and social sciences. It turns out that small-scale experiments are relatively easy to perform thanks to the easy availability of digital technology. However, real innovation in publishing affects organization and infrastructure and requires the joint effort of publishers, editors, data repositories, and authors. It implies a thorough update of the concept of publication and adaptation of the production process. This paper also pays attention to these obstacles to taking new paths.