Supporting the Transition to FAIR-enabling through Trustworthy Digital Repositories and FAIR-aligned Policies

Abstract:

Open data and data management policies that call for long-term access and preservation of data are becoming more and more commonplace in the global research community. With it, the need for trustworthy data repositories to preserve and disseminate data is growing.

Researchers in the Global South need access to trustworthy digital repositories to make their data accessible and relevant policymakers at the funder, publisher and organisational levels need to be aware of how their current policies support or hinder data FAIRness.

An important role of trustworthy repositories is the provision of long-term stewardship of FAIR data objects, including curation activities to ensure that the data objects remain FAIR over time. Helping repositories progress towards becoming more FAIR-enabling and trustworthy is at the heart of the FAIRsFAIR project.

We are developing support targeted at data repositories to better support the provision of FAIR data and preparing for certification as trustworthy repositories. Specifically, we are supporting 10 European repositories on their journey towards becoming trustworthy and FAIR-enabling. They have a diverse geographical and disciplinary background, so best community and national practices will help us and others to support the transition. Through a repository support programme, we offer support in seeking CoreTrustSeal certification. They share with us - and the wider repository community - their invaluable knowledge on how trustworthy repository practices enable data FAIRness. We share recommendations for integrating FAIR into the CoreTrustSeal requirements with the CoreTrustSeal Board.

FAIRsFAIR has also developed a series of policy enhancement recommendations targeted to a range of different stakeholders to help ensure that data can be made FAIR and kept FAIR over time. Stakeholders in the Global South can use them to push infrastructure and practices in their countries.

A key aim for this abstract is to share our experiences in supporting the 10 European repositories seeking CoreTrustSeal certification and to share our policy enhancement recommendations. We are eager to learn from our global peers - in particular to hear from stakeholders at different maturity levels about their own journeys and to collectively identify good practice that can be promoted to help others.