RDA FAIR data maturity model: specification and guidelines
In June 2020, the Research Data Alliance Foundation (RDA) published an RDA Recommendation on the RDA FAIR Data Maturity Model, with a set of indicators and evaluation levels for assessment of FAIRness in research data.
The model was developed by the RDA FAIR Data Maturity Model Working Group, with participation of over 200 experts on research data from more than 20 countries over 18 months between January 2019 and June 2020. It proposes a set of indicators, priorities and maturity levels for the evaluation of FAIRness on a general level that can be used as a 'lingua franca' to make results of FAIR assessment approaches comparable. In practical application of the model, thematic communities can adapt the model to their specific needs and their expectations about FAIRness of the data resources they produce and manage.
The model may be used during the development of Research Data Management Plans before any data resources have been produced to specify the level of FAIRness that the resources are expected to achieve. It can also be used after the production of data resources to test what the achieved level of the resources is. Data producers, i.e. researchers, and data publishers can use the model to determine where their practices could be improved to achieve a higher level of FAIRness, while project managers and funding agencies can use the model to determine whether the data resources achieve a pre-defined, expected level of FAIRness.
Application of the model in assessment approaches can then lead to increased coherence and interoperability of existing or emerging FAIR assessment frameworks, ensuring the combination and compatibility of their results in a meaningful way.
For more information
The RDA FAIR data maturity model: specification and guidelines can be consulted here. For complementary information about the FAIR data maturity model and the RDA Working Group please see here.