Evaluating the FAIRness of Health Research Software at Leipzig University Using an Automated FAIR Assessment Tool

Software plays a crucial role in academic research, not only as a tool for data analysis but also as a research outcome or result, or even the object of research itself. FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) research software can increase the transparency, reproducibility, and reusability of research. For this to happen, software needs to be well-described (by metadata), inspectable, documented and appropriately structured so that it can be executed, replicated, built-upon, combined, reinterpreted, reimplemented, and/or used in different settings. The FAIR4RS Principles aim to guide software creators and owners on how to make their software FAIR. FAIR-IMPACT offered two support actions designed to enhance the FAIRness and impact of research software:

• Assessing and improving existing research software using a new extension of F-UJI which implements some of the metrics for automated FAIR research  software assessment.
• Implementing the Research Software MetaData (RSMD) guidelines for better archiving, referencing, describing, and citing research software artefacts.

This FAIR Implementation Story outlines the specific aims and actions of Leipzig University in relation to their participation in one or both support actions.

"Looking ahead, our action plan will continue beyond the support programme's lifecycle, focusing on ongoing training for team members on FAIR principles and integrating these practices into our project management processes. We will conduct workshops within our organisations to share our findings with our target audience. These sessions will aim to raise awareness about the importance of FAIR principles and the enhancements we've implemented. By engaging our stakeholders, we hope to foster a deeper understanding of these practices and encourage broader adoption throughout our organisations."

Supported applicant: Mona Perbix, Matthias Löbe, Institute of Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology (IMISE), Leipzig University