The FAIR principles help researchers to manage, share and reuse their data effectively. They apply to all research disciplines, including arts, humanities and social sciences.
FAIR stands for:
- Findable – others can easily find your data and metadata
- Accessible – others can access your data under clear conditions
- Interoperable – your data can be used with other datasets and tools
- Reusable – your data can be reused with confidence
You can apply the principles even if you cannot share your data openly. For example, if your dataset includes sensitive information, you can still add metadata and explain how people can access the data.
Why FAIR matters
Making your data FAIR helps:
- increase the impact of your research
- support open research and reproducibility
- make sure your data can be preserved and reused
How to make your data FAIR
You should keep the FAIR principles in mind throughout your research. They're especially important when preparing to share data.
Follow these six steps to make your data FAIR. Depositing your data in a suitable repository will help with each one.
1. Document your data
- Explain your data clearly so others (and future you) can understand and use it.
- Include any code or software needed to use or interpret the data.
- Create a README file to describe your dataset.
Some repositories check your submission and may ask for more information if needed.
2. Add metadata
- Add metadata to help others find, understand and reuse your data.
- Use metadata standards relevant to your discipline.
- Metadata is part of good documentation.
Most repositories collect standard metadata when you deposit your data. Some of this will be auto-generated.
3. Use appropriate file formats
- Save your data in open or widely used formats.
- Use machine-readable formats that work well with other datasets.
- Avoid proprietary formats when possible.
Some repositories may ask you to convert files to open formats to support long-term access and preservation. This helps to avoid reliance on proprietary software that might become obsolete.
4. Make your data accessible
- Share your data openly where possible using a trusted repository.
- If access must be restricted, explain clearly who can access it and how.
- Include this in your metadata and any data access statement.
Some repositories support managed-access for sensitive datasets.
5. Link to your data
- Deposit your data in a repository that gives you a Digital Object Identifier (DOI).
- Cite this link in your publication's data access statement.
Repositories should provide a persistent identifier you can use in references.
6. Add a licence
- Choose a licence to show how your data can be reused. This includes licences for software and code.
- Use open licences when appropriate (such as Creative Commons).
Once you’ve chosen a licence, the repository should include it in the metadata.
Help and support
If you need help or support with making your data FAIR, please contact the Research Data Management team.