Open data

The Future of FAIR

2021 marks five years since publication of the FAIR data principles. With a wide range of opinions and commentary, this white paper looks at the real-world impact of FAIR, and considers what will be next for research data and open science.

The concept of FAIR data has been instrumental in bringing open science and research data to the attention of the research community, as well as to the broader group of stakeholders involved in facilitating, managing and disseminating research. The Future of FAIR: Highlights and reflections from the Better Research Through Better Data roundtable brings together an international cohort of research data professionals to celebrate the real-world impact of the FAIR data principles, and consider what will be next for research data and open science.

Key themes

  • The impact of the FAIR principles on a global pandemic
  • Fair management of genetic data and ethical considerations for research data sharing
  • Using Real World Data for research
  • Supporting roles for FAIR data
  • Fair access to research data infrastructure

About the FAIR data principles

2021 marks the fifth anniversary of the FAIR principles, which were published in Scientific Data in 2016. The FAIR principles were developed to support the discovery and reuse of research data. FAIR stands for:

Findable

Accessible 

Interoperable

Reusable

Read the article

How Springer Nature is supporting FAIR data

Learn more about how we support researchers in sharing their data, in line with the FAIR principles.

  • Research data training: addressing the challenges researchers encounter around data sharing, these in-person and online workshops include an introduction to the practical applications of the FAIR data principles. Part of Nature Research Academies, our workshops offer trusted quality and a professional perspective on research.

  • Research data help desk: our expert team has put together a collection of free articles on the most commonly asked questions about research data.

  • Data publishing provides an opportunity for researchers to increase the findability and accessibility of their datasets via a peer-reviewed publication. Learn more about publishing your research data in one of Springer Nature’s open access journals, including Scientific Data and BMC Research Notes.

  • Recommended repositories list: data which are formally archived in a repository are more likely to be accessible for the longer term. They are also easier to find, to reuse and to cite. To help researchers select the right repository for their data, we have put together a list of recommended repositories.

  • Research Data Community: a space for those working with research data to discuss ideas, find support, and share best practice. Join now.

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