The FAIR Principles are vital to enabling the use of data, not just for people, but more importantly for machines. The FAIR principles are designed to address the necessary steps to make research data and the metadata attached to it FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). FAIR enables the use of data and metadata for a wide range of use cases and without it, data is not consumable in a way that is needed to build upon research, to make it reproducible, or to provide it as a trusted source of verified information to new technologies such as artificial intelligence. While the principles were not specifically designed to be applied to metadata schema, or not in isolation, this 4-part blog series will address each of the interlinked FAIR principles and, how Ringgold Data is FAIR Data for organization identification.
The second post in our series explores how Ringgold data and metadata are Accessible.
Accessible
Once the user finds the required data, she/he/they need to know how they can be accessed, possibly including authentication and authorization.
A1. (Meta)data are retrievable by their identifier using a standardized communications protocol
Ringgold Data is retrievable via UI, API (HTTPS), or FTPS access to data exports and thus support standardized communication protocols enabling all clients and users to access the data on authorization.
A1.1 The protocol is open, free, and universally implementable
Not to be confused with open and free APIs and data exchange methods, this FAIR Principles statement is referring to the requirement that technical protocols must be open and free, e.g., not proprietary methods of communications, so the technology itself is not a barrier to access. http/s and ftp/s are both open protocols. All Ringgold Data is accessible via Https or FTPs and transmitted to authorized users via those protocols.
A1.2 The protocol allows for an authentication and authorization procedure, where necessary
Ringgold Data is provided using exact conditions, via authentication for both humans and machines. Authentication for end users via LDAP and APIs via API license keys. Accessibility is specified in such a way that a machine can automatically execute the requirements to obtain access, and thus there are no barriers to access to those people or machines entitled to access.
A2. Metadata are accessible, even when the data are no longer available
Ringgold Data doesn’t reallocate IDs, when organizations merge or are dissolved, Ringgold Data changes the status of the record and points any applicable IDs to a subsuming entity. Ringgold Data helps customers in the FAIRification of their metadata by providing a persistent ID linkage from the organization in the metadata to a persistent registry of data about organizations, ensuring the organization is always discoverable from the metadata even if the content/data the metadata is attached to no longer can be found.
Comprehensive Data Management: Beyond FAIR Principles
When thinking about data we should also consider other data principles in addition to FAIR, including but not limited to systems and data security such as SOC2 and ISO standards certification, privacy standards including application of all national and regional legislation and best practices, and best practices around business models and sustainability to ensure the longevity of data access. Not least we should consider data quality and apply metrics in the form of dimensions of data appropriate to the context and develop certificates of data quality.
While “quality issues are not addressed by the FAIR principles,” for over 20 years, publishers have relied on the excellence of Ringgold data. All records in the Ringgold Identify Database are created, maintained and quality-controlled by a team of data experts. This data maintenance is done in accordance with rigorous, up-to-date editorial policies, and changes are structured, tracked, and made available within the dataset. CCC adheres to best practices for data quality, security, and compliance. Ringgold Solutions provides a robust, sustainable solution that continues to evolve with the industry.
Next in the Ringgold Data and the FAIR Principles blog series, we discuss how Ringgold data and metadata are Interoperable.
Learn about Ringgold data and metadata is Findable.