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Score a paper's data management against the FAIR principles

Source: R/score_fair.R
score_fair.Rd

Scores each paper on the four FAIR dimensions (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) from the data-sharing fields the package already records. Each dimension is scored 0, 1, or 2, and fair_total is their sum (0 to 8). The rubric is deliberately simple and documented so the scoring is reproducible and open to criticism (issue #19); it is a screening instrument, not a certified FAIR assessment.

Usage

score_fair(data)

Arguments

data

A data frame with the columns has_das, das_type, das_repo_url, das_repo_name, and supp_file_type. The washdev, uncnewsletter, and ploswater datasets all carry these. das_repo_name is optional; when absent, the repository signal falls back to das_repo_url.

Value

data with five integer columns added: fair_findable, fair_accessible, fair_interoperable, fair_reusable, and fair_total.

Details

The four dimensions are scored as follows.

Findable (persistent identifier and registered location):

  • 2: the data is in a registered repository (das_repo_name is set) and a repository link or dataset DOI is present.

  • 1: a data location is stated (das_type is "available in online repository", or a das_repo_url is present) but without a recognised repository, or the data is in the paper or its supplement.

  • 0: no data location (no DAS, "on request", or "not shareable").

Accessible (can a reader get the data without a barrier):

  • 2: a repository or supplement link is present (das_repo_url or supp_url), so the data is directly retrievable.

  • 1: the data is stated to be in the paper or supplement but no link is recorded.

  • 0: "on request", "not shareable", or no DAS.

Interoperable (open, machine-readable shared formats), from supp_file_type:

  • 2: any open machine-readable format (csv, txt, tsv, json, xml).

  • 1: structured but proprietary formats only (xlsx, docx, sav, dta).

  • 0: unstructured only (pdf, images), or no shared files.

Reusable (license and repository metadata). Because a license column is not yet collected for these datasets, this dimension is scored from the repository signal as a lower bound:

  • 2: data in a recognised repository (das_repo_name set), which normally carries a license and rich metadata.

  • 1: a data location is stated but not in a recognised repository.

  • 0: no shared data.

When a license column is added (see issue #19), raise this dimension to use it directly.

Note that Accessible scores the shared files, not the authors' intent. A paper whose das_type is "on request" or "not shareable" can still score 2 on Accessible if it ships a supplement with a supp_url, because that supplement is directly retrievable. The das_type value stays visible alongside the score, so a restricted-data paper that still shares a supplement is distinguishable from a fully open one.

Examples

scored <- score_fair(ploswater)
table(scored$fair_total)
#> 
#>   0   2   3   4   5   6   7   8 
#>  94  11  27  47 136  45  71   3