UC Libraries Forum 2021: Leading with Innovation, Stronger through Collaboration

In response to the need for real-world implementations of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) data for Open Science, the FAIR Island Project offers an established, working field station as a controlled environment to experiment implementing FAIR data policies and workflows. Through a UC-focused, community-oriented, open approach, the FAIR Island Project explores, develops, and showcases generalized place-based tools and methods for FAIR data management. All researchers working on the Tetiaroa field station are required to create data management plans (DMPs) for their proposed projects to study the island, and said DMPs are updated as data collection advances.

The FAIR Island Project builds interoperability between pieces of critical research infrastructure -- Data Management Plans (DMPs), research practice, DOIs, and publications contributing to the advancement and adoption of Open Science. The California Digital Library (CDL)’s leading work on transforming static data management plans into continuously updated, networked DMPs transforms the DMP into a living document that can guide the course of research by integrating data management activities and plans with related systems and workflows in the research lifecycle.

As part of the FAIR Island Project, CDL is partnering with the University of California Natural Reserve System (UCNRS) to integrate their respective technologies for reservation management and the generation of data management plans to create an integrated system to manage research conducted at any UC field station. Moving forward, the project will advance social and technological infrastructure for place-based open science by rolling out project data policies and technologies to other UC-managed field stations.

The Reserve Application Management System (RAMS) of the UCNRS is already in use by 56 field stations, primarily in California. By connecting the RAMS system with the DMPTool, the FAIR Island Project will create a unified workflow wherein researchers are required to submit a DMP that is then reviewed by the field station director/staff and a research data management specialist on the FAIR Island Project team. Upon approval of the DMP, a DOI is minted and can be connected with the DOI(s) assigned for each associated output.

This short talk will review the FAIR Island Project’s work to promote Open Science practices at UC-managed field stations through technical integrations and optimal data policies.