In level 1, data is identifiable as individual generic data objects that are described by generic metadata elements. Hosting environment offers limited retrieval capabilities.
This level prescribes the entry level requirements that all the higher levels will build up upon. It establishes basic requirements to enable ‘Findability’, ‘Accessibility’ with basic descriptive metadata that enables data users to interpret and understand the data object.
The first step to be at Maturity Level 1 is to define and identify the data object that is expected to be shared and re-used (i.e., the FAIR data object). Notice this level is referring to a Data Object rather than a Dataset. This is to imply that data at this level includes both structured and unstructured data.
Example
A Level 1 dataset might involve the publication of analysis-related data in a general purpose repository such as Harvard Dataverse, Zenodo or Figshare, making them findable, citable and available for re-use for the purpose of future analysis validation. Deposition in a repository will give the dataset a DOI, accession number or other globally unique and persistent identifier. Repositories generally require some minimal metadata to describe both the high-level content of the submission and the individual file types. Indexing this information allows for searching and retrieval based on a number of facets.
Dataset Descriptor includes Descriptive Study/Project-Level summary information
Maturity Level
1
Category
Content and Context
Granularity Level
Project
Description
This is a metadata-related requirement. Metadata should include summary information about the study or project that the Data Object is related to. This is basic contextual-metadata that will allow minimum levels of human interpretation of the data being shared.
Related DSM Indicator
Related FAIR Principle
R1. Meta(data) are richly described with a plurality of accurate and relevant attributes
Dataset Descriptor includes Identifying and Descriptive Dataset-Level metadata
Maturity Level
1
Category
Content and Context
Granularity Level
Dataset
Description
This is a metadata-related requirement. Metadata should include the Dataset Identifier it is describing AND descriptive information about the Dataset as a whole to enable Search-ability and Findability of Data (e.g., name, description, keywords).
Related DSM Indicator
Related FAIR Principle
F3. Metadata clearly and explicitly include the identifier of the data they describe, R1. Meta(data) are richly described with a plurality of accurate and relevant attributes.
Metadata hosting environment stores and maintains an identifiable Dataset Descriptor for each identifiable Dataset
Maturity Level
1
Category
Hosting Environment
Capability
Storage Capability
Description
The hosting environment stores for each data object a related metadata record, which enables findability. At this basic level of maturity, there is no restriction on the persistence model for the metadata records as long as the representation for data exchange is offered in accordance to a standard generic metadata schema (DSM-1-R4)
Related DSM Indicator
DSM-1-R4
Related FAIR Principle
A1. (Meta)data are retrievable by their identifier using a standardised communications protocol
Metadata hosting environment offers the capability to browse and search contents of the Dataset Descriptor
Maturity Level
1
Category
Hosting Environment
Capability
Searching Capability
Description
This capability is enabled by the Metadata Hosting Environment storing and indexing the metadata that is included in the Dataset Descriptor (F+MM-1.H2). As a gained benefit, the hosting environment should be able to offer simple keyword search against their locally defined metadata schema to enable basic human led discoverability of the associated datasets.
Related DSM Indicator
Related FAIR Principle
F4. (Meta)data are registered or indexed in a searchable resource
Structured and/or Unstructured Data are organised into Dataset (s) created for the purpose of FAIR sharing
Maturity Level
1
Category
Data Representation
Granularity Level
Dataset
Description
This is a pre-requisite requirement to define the unit of data that is the subject-matter of the FAIRification process. This requirement requires the data managers to consider the form and the representation of data into Datasets that are designed and purposed for sharing and re-use by users unfamiliar with the data. Once defined, a Dataset should be assigned an identifier as indicated by DSM-1-C0, which then makes it an Identifiable Dataset.
What this requirement is trying to advice against are decisions to FAIRify data stored in databases according to a defined schema without defining the ‘data exchange unit’ that is meant for sharing and re-use.
This is a format-related requirement that focuses on machine-readability aspect of the metadata. This is a pre-requisite requirement to having the metadata indexed and searchable in a hosting resource DSM-1-H4.
This is a format-related requirement that focuses on machine-readability aspect of the data. This is a pre-requisite requirement to having the data indexed and searchable in a hosting resource DSM-1-H4.
