The FAIR Cookbook - the essential resource for and by FAIR doers

TLDR

The FAIR Principles—Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable—have become a global norm for data stewardship and reproducibility, guiding policy and practice, yet they remain aspirational and elusive. The authors created the FAIR Cookbook to provide practical guidance for Life Sciences professionals on implementing the FAIR Principles. The FAIR Cookbook is an open, online repository of hands‑on recipes covering FAIRification steps, maturity models, technologies, tools, standards, skills, and challenges, and is part of the ELIXIR ecosystem with funder endorsement and community contributions.

Abstract

Abstract The notion that data should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable, according to the FAIR Principles, has become a global norm for good data stewardship and a prerequisite for reproducibility. Nowadays, FAIR guides data policy actions and professional practices in the public and private sectors. Despite such global endorsements, however, the FAIR Principles are aspirational, remaining elusive at best, and intimidating at worst. To address the lack of practical guidance, and help with capability gaps, we developed the FAIR Cookbook, an open, online resource of hands-on recipes for “FAIR doers” in the Life Sciences. Created by researchers and data managers professionals in academia, (bio)pharmaceutical companies and information service industries, the FAIR Cookbook covers the key steps in a FAIRification journey, the levels and indicators of FAIRness, the maturity model, the technologies, the tools and the standards available, as well as the skills required, and the challenges to achieve and improve data FAIRness. Part of the ELIXIR ecosystem, and recommended by funders, the FAIR Cookbook is open to contributions of new recipes.