FAIR Principles
The izeltlabuak.hu website primarily focuses on arthropods found in Hungary. This entry also deals with Hungarian fauna.
What is FAIR?
The FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) were published in 2016 as guidelines for scientific data management. The goal of the GO FAIR initiative is to make data easily findable, accessible, compatible with other systems, and reusable. The principles help computers easily process data, which is increasingly important as we collect and store more data.
The FAIR Principles
F - Findable
The first step in reusing data is to find it. Data and their descriptions should be easily findable for both humans and computers. For this, every data must have a unique identifier (like an address), detailed description (like a book cover), and be registered in searchable databases.
A - Accessible
After finding the data, we need to know how to access it. Data must be accessible in a standard way (like a website), open and free, and secure where necessary. Data details remain always accessible, even if the original data is no longer available.
I - Interoperable
Data must connect with other data and work with different programs. For this, data must be in a standard format (like a universal adapter), use common vocabularies (like a common language), and contain connections with other data (like a family tree).
R - Reusable
The ultimate goal of FAIR is that data be reusable. For this, data must be thoroughly described (like a recipe), have clear usage terms (like a contract), know where they come from (like a source citation), and comply with community standards (like a certification).
FAIR Implementation in izeltlabuak.hu
The izeltlabuak.hu platform has been following these principles since 2016, simultaneously with the publication of the FAIR principles. As committed supporters of free culture, we already held similar principles, so implementing FAIR did not cause particular difficulties.
1. Findability
On the izeltlabuak.hu platform, every observation has a unique identifier that enables permanent location of the data. Every observation has a detailed description: species name, location, date, coordinates, photos, identification information. Metadata clearly references the data they describe. Data is searchable on the izeltlabuak.hu platform and also available on the GBIF platform.
GBIF provides additional services: anyone can create a derived dataset for a publication, for which a DOI number is created. This references the snapshot created when the derived dataset was created, which is available on the GBIF platform. On GBIF, all submitted observations are accessible in the form of weekly snapshots.
2. Accessibility
Data is accessible through web pages and can be exported via standard http protocol. The platform is open, free, and accessible to everyone. No registration is required to access observation data.
Metadata remains always accessible, even if the original data is no longer available. For this, accessible snapshots of derived datasets on the GBIF platform provide this opportunity.
3. Interoperability
The platform uses the Darwin Core standard, which is a widely accepted common format for natural data. Darwin Core vocabularies themselves follow FAIR principles, and data contains references to other related data.
For example, observations reference their associated photos, and photos back-reference to observations. Species also contain their taxonomic relationships (family, order, class), users connect to their observations, and locations are linked with coordinates. This enables data not to stand alone but to form structured relationships, making them easily integrable with other systems as well.
4. Reusability
Every observation is richly documented, with more than 516,000 observations and 881,000+ images. Every observation contains the species name, location, date, coordinates, photos, identification information, environmental data, and additional notes.
Data has clear usage terms (like a contract), and it's possible to know who recorded it and when. The platform complies with natural community standards, especially GBIF requirements.
Summary
izeltlabuak.hu is a successful example of the practical implementation of FAIR principles. The platform has been following these principles since 2016, ensuring easy findability, accessibility, compatibility with other systems, and reusability of data. Through the use of the Darwin Core standard and GBIF integration, the platform is usable at an international level.
