Metadata collection at microscopy research facilities: from distant goal to near future?

Microscopy Australia is a consortium of university-based microscopy facilities funded by the Commonwealth through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), state governments and participating institutions. As the research community embraces the FAIR data principles (data findability, accessibility, interoperability and reusability) and publishers and funders require increasingly that research data be FAIR, a cohesive and consistent approach to research data management across Microscopy Australia has become essential to improve the service provided to researchers. Metadata play a fundamental role in making research data FAIR by enhancing the discoverability, sharing and reuse of research data. They also increase confidence in the validity of the data by supporting research reproducibility. However, collecting metadata at microscopy facilities in a way that is sustainable, consistent and systematic has proven challenging. In this presentation, I will describe initiatives that Microscopy Australia has taken to promote best practices in metadata collection and enable FAIR data. In particular, guidelines have been developed to coordinate the efforts of facilities. Overall, even though metadata collection is still at an early stage at Microscopy Australia, the work that has been started could have far-reaching beneficial effects in the promotion of the FAIR principles, the harmonisation or standardisation of general-purpose metadata in microscopy and other disciplines, and the implementation of interoperable information systems at facilities that will facilitate information sharing.