Making sensitive research data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable

What is it about?

This paper presents a systematic literature review of the methods that have been proposed for making restricted data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable). We found that the methods proposed for making restricted data FAIR are connected to the stages of the Data Life Cycle, a framework that describes the steps involved in managing data from its collection to its disposal. Moreover, we also found that high quality metadata is essential for improving FAIRness for restricted access data. This paper provides a valuable resource for researchers who are working with restricted data. It also helps to advance the understanding of how to make restricted data FAIR.

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Photo by Alina Grubnyak on Unsplash

Photo by Alina Grubnyak on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The FAIR Guiding Principles have been developed to help researchers make their data more Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR). However, it is not always clear how to apply the FAIR principles to restricted access data. Often, researchers collect and use data that cannot be shared freely due to privacy concerns or other restrictions. This type of data - also called restricted access data - is very valuable for researchers, but it is also difficult to discover, access and re-use.

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