FAIR Data Advanced Use Cases: from principles to practice in the Netherlands

A SURF report. SURF is the collaborative ICT organisation for Dutch education and research. SURF offers students, lecturers and scientists in the Netherlands access to the best possible internet and ICT facilities.

The idea that data needs to be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable is a simple message which appeals to many. The 15 international FAIR principles were published in 2016. They serve as a guideline for preparing research data for reuse under clearly described conditions by both people and machines. They are intentionally principles and not standards. Various organisations and disciplines have since developed standards, tools and training based on their own interpretation of the FAIR principles. Some domains have already done a great deal of work on this, although not always under the FAIR banner. Other domains do not traditionally use large quantities of research data and are at an earlier stage.

The purpose of this report is to build and share expertise on the implementation of FAIR data policy in the Netherlands. The six use cases included in this report describe developments in FAIR data, and different approaches taken, within different domains. For SURF, it is important to gain a better picture of the best way to support researchers who want to make their data FAIR. 

The use cases are are based on interviews with people involved. They illustrate the move from principles to policy and the development of standards for creating, processing, saving and using FAIR data.