The document outlines criteria for creating effective metrics in assessing the FAIR principles related to digital resources, emphasizing clarity, realism, measurability, and applicability. It presents a structured rubric for metric development, detailing component requirements such as unique identifiers and evaluation methods. The framework aims to facilitate automated, objective evaluations while fostering stakeholder involvement and continuous improvement in measuring fairness in data access and usability.

1. FAIR Metrics &
Evaluation
Mark D. Wilkinson, Susanna-Assunta Sansone, Erik Schultes,
Peter Doorn, Luiz Olavo Bonino da Silva Santos, Michel Dumontier

2. What makes a “good” Metric?
(for anything!)

3. What makes a “good” Metric?
(for anything!)
● Clear: so that anybody can understand what is meant
● Realistic: so that anybody can report on what is being asked
of them
● Discriminating: so that we can distinguish the degree to which
a resource meets a specific FAIR principle, and can provide
instruction as to what would maximize that value
● Measurable: The assessment can be made in an objective,
quantitative, machine-interpretable, scalable and reproducible
manner → transparency of what is being measured, and how.
● Universality: The extent to which the metric is applicable to all
digital resources.

4. Rubric for designing a Metric
We designed a set of parameters that must be
considered for every metric.
The parameters are designed to help ensure that the
Metric you are designing is “good”

5. Metric Identifier FAIR Metrics should, themselves, be FAIR objects, and thus should
have globally unique identifiers.
Metric Name human-readable name for the metric
To which principle does it apply? Metrics should address only one sub-principle, since each FAIR
principle is particular to one feature of a digital resource; metrics that
address multiple principles are likely to be measuring multiple features,
and those should be separated whenever possible.
What is being measured? A precise description of the aspect of that digital resource that is going
to be evaluated
Why should we measure it? Describe why it is relevant to measure this aspect
What must be provided? What information is required to make this measurement?
How do we measure it? In what way will that information be evaluated?
What is a valid result? What outcome represents "success" versus "failure"
For which digital resource(s) is
this relevant?
If possible, a metric should apply to all digital resources; however,
some metrics may be applicable only to a subset. In this case, it is
necessary to specify the range of resources to which the metric is
reasonably applicable.

6. Caveat: we decided that we would only design metrics that test the
FAIRness of a resource from the perspective of a machine
The FAIR principles emphasise that data must be FAIR both for
humans, and for machines
i.e. a machine should be able to replace a human with respect to:
● Discovery of the data of interest
● Discovery of how to access the data (both technological and
“contractual”)
● Identification of the data format, and the ability to parse the
data into a “sensible” in-memory representation
● Discovery of linked information
● Discovery (and download of) of contextual information
relevant to the interpretation of the data
● Discovery of the license associated with that data.

7. https://tinyurl.com/FAIRMetrics-ALL

8. F1: (meta) data are
assigned globally unique
and persistent identifiers

9. F1: (meta) data are assigned globally
unique and persistent identifiers
How should we measure this in a way that is
clear, realistic, measurable, discriminating, and
universal?

10. Metric Identifier: FM-F1A: https://purl.org/fair-metrics/FM_F1A
Metric Name: Identifier Uniqueness
To which principle does it apply? F1
What is being measured? Whether there is a scheme to uniquely identify the
digital resource.
Why should we measure it? The uniqueness of an identifier is a necessary
condition to unambiguously refer that resource, and that resource alone.
Otherwise, an identifier shared by multiple resources will confound efforts to
describe that resource, or to use the identifier to retrieve it. Examples of
identifier schemes include, but are not limited to URN, IRI,DOI, Handle,
trustyURI, LSID, etc. For an in-depth understanding of the issues around
identifiers, please see http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2001414

11. What must be provided? URL to a registered identifier scheme.
How do we measure it? An identifier scheme is valid if and only if it is
described in a repository that can register and present such identifier
schemes (e.g. fairsharing.org).
What is a valid result? Present or Absent

13. Conflates
richness with
machine-
readability
→ bad metric
Join the
conversation
on GitHub!

14. Automated Metrics Testing

15. Caveats
Please be gentle in your criticism :-)
1. I am doing this with my own hands…
2. … when I have “free” time (ha!) ...
3. … out of love…
I will try to point-out the things on my TODO list
as we go through this, but please feel free to
give me suggestions!

16. Desiderata for a FAIR Metrics testing framework
1) All components of the framework should themselves be FAIR
2) Tests should be modular - mirroring (as much as possible) the
Metrics themselves
3) Tests should be as objective as possible
4) All stakeholders should be able to define their own Metric Tests
5) All stakeholders should be able to define their own “Evaluations”
(combinations of Tests relevant to that stakeholder)
6) The Evaluation system should evolve to accept new standards,
without re-coding
7) Anyone should be able to evaluate anything
8) The system should be aspirational - provide feedback for
improvement

17. Architecture Overview

18. FAIR
Evaluator
Architecture Overview

19. FAIR
Evaluator
Architecture Overview

20. The FAIR Evaluator
Automated, Objective, Aspirational!
“Strawman” code by Mark Wilkinson
https://tinyurl.com/FAIREvaluator

21. Overview
- Every Metric is associated with a Web-based interface that can evaluate
compliance with that Metric
- New Metrics can be registered simply by pointing to the URL for their smartAPI
- Collection of Metrics can be assembled by anyone, to represent the aspects of
FAIRness that they care about (e.g. a journal vs. funding agency vs researcher)
- You can execute an evaluation by providing an IRI to be tested, and a collection
of Metrics to be applied to it
- Evaluations can be recovered (see previous input data) and/or re-executed,
either through the Web interface, or by direct connection to the Evaluator from
software (i.e. the Web page is only for people)

22. The Evaluator will soon be peer-reviewed
so we are NOT inviting you to try it yourself
However, if you must...
please don’t “play with” existing
evaluations, please create a new one

23. Homepage

24. Homepage
Browse Metrics

25. Browse Metrics

26. Browse Metrics
What principle does
this Metric test?

27. Browse Metrics
What is the address of
the testing interface?

28. Browse Metrics
Browse to one of
them….

29. Interface Definition
(Swagger 2.0 with smartAPI extensions)

30. Homepage
Browse
Collections of
Metrics

31. Metrics Collections
So far I have only collected the individual FAIR facets together
Anyone can create a collection (but currently disabled)

32. Homepage
Browse
evaluations

33. Browse Evaluations

34. Explore one evaluation

35. Explore one evaluation
See the
result!

36. The Result Page

37. Want to re-execute?
See the
raw input
data

38. Raw Input Data
(copy/edit/paste and HTTP POST to the Evaluator)

39. Web-based Execution of an Evaluation

40. Web-based Execution of an Evaluation
What is being tested?

41. Web-based Execution of an Evaluation
This questionnaire field is automatically
created by examining the Swagger definition
for the Metric Tester
Swagger Doc.

42. What happens next?
https://fairsharing.org/bsg-s001182
SUBMIT

44. {
"count":7,
"previous":null,
"results":[
{
"pk":3022,
"bsg_id":"bsg-s001182",
"name":"Digital Object Identifier",
"shortname":"DOI",
"description":"The digital object identifier (DOI) system originated in a joint initiative of three trade associations in the publishing industry (International Publishers Association;
International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers; Association of American Publishers). The system was announced at the Frankfurt Book Fair 1997. The International DOI®
Foundation (IDF) was created to develop and manage the DOI system, also in 1997. The DOI system was adopted as International Standard ISO 26324 in 2012. The DOI system implements the
Handle System and adds a number of new features. The DOI system provides an infrastructure for persistent unique identification of objects of any type. The DOI system is designed to work
over the Internet. A DOI name is permanently assigned to an object to provide a resolvable persistent network link to current information about that object, including where the object, or
information about it, can be found on the Internet. While information about an object can change over time, its DOI name will not change. A DOI name can be resolved within the DOI system to
values of one or more types of data relating to the object identified by that DOI name, such as a URL, an e-mail address, other identifiers and descriptive metadata.rnrnThe DOI system enables
the construction of automated services and transactions. Applications of the DOI system include but are not limited to managing information and documentation location and access; managing
metadata; facilitating electronic transactions; persistent unique identification of any form of any data; and commercial and non-commercial transactions.rnrnThe content of an object associated
with a DOI name is described unambiguously by DOI metadata, based on a structured extensible data model that enables the object to be associated with metadata of any desired degree of
precision and granularity to support description and services. The data model supports interoperability between DOI applications.rnrnThe scope of the DOI system is not defined by reference
to the type of content (format, etc.) of the referent, but by reference to the functionalities it provides and the context of use. The DOI system provides, within networks of DOI applications, for
unique identification, persistence, resolution, metadata and semantic interoperability.rnrn",
"homepage":"https://www.doi.org",
"taxonomies":[
"Not applicable"
],
"domains":[
"Centrally registered identifier",
"Knowledge And Information Systems"
],
"countries":[
"Worldwide"
],
"type":"identifier schema",
"doi":null,
"maintainers":[
]
},
{
"pk":3023,
"bsg_id":"bsg-s001183",
"name":"Persistent Uniform Resource Locator",
"shortname":"PURL",
curl -k -i -X GET "https://fairsharing.org/api/standard/summary/?type=identifier%20schema" -H "Accept:
application/json" -H "Api-Key: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"

45. Verification of Answer(s) to Questionnaire
The Evaluator Metric Tester FAIRSharing.org
F1: DOI DOI - OK?

46. Verification of Answer(s) to Questionnaire
The Evaluator Metric Tester FAIRSharing.org
Standard!
Is this really a DOI?

47. Verification of Answer(s) to Questionnaire
The Evaluator Metric Tester FAIRSharing.org
Yes, This is a DOI

48. Live demo of evaluation

49. Automated, Objective, Aspirational!
It’s HARD to pass the automated tests!
(much harder than you would think!)
They are unforgiving, because they are automated
They force you to think about your interface from the
perspective of a machine-visitor

50. ~~real evaluations - Human vs. Evaluator
FM [AID*] Question Dataverse
MANUAL
Dataverse
AUTOMATED
Dryad
MANUAL
Dryad
AUTOMATED
Zenodo
MANUAL
Zenodo
AUTOMATED
Identifier 1 DOI DOI DOI DOI DOI DOI
F1A 2
F2 4A,4B
F3 5B
F4 6A
F4 6B
A1.1 7A
A1.2 8A
A1.2 8B
A2 9
I1 10
I2 11
I3 12
R1.1 13
R1.2 14A

51. Not genuine evaluation at this time… pure
trust, until all necessary standards are in
FAIRSharing
FM [AID*] Question Dataverse
MANUAL
Dataverse
AUTOMATED
Dryad
MANUAL
Dryad
AUTOMATED
Zenodo
MANUAL
Zenodo
AUTOMATED
Identifier 1 DOI DOI DOI DOI DOI DOI
F1A 2
F2 4A,4B
F3 5B
F4 6A
F4 6B
A1.1 7A
A1.2 8A
A1.2 8B
A2 9
I1 10
I2 11
I3 12
R1.1 13
R1.2 14A

52. Automated, Objective, Aspirational!
If you ever start to score 100% on the Metrics…
...we will just create harder Metrics!!
(a 100% score on the current Metrics
does not mean that you are FAIR)
FAIR is ASPIRATIONAL! You can always do better!

53. TODOs:
1) All messages should be JSON-LD
2) Connect more Metric tests to FAIRSharing as new standards are indexed
3) Deploy LDP server for long-term storage of evaluation results (e.g. to monitor
progress over time)
4) Add exemplar data to each Metric Test’s smartAPI (for auto-testing and
additional guidance to users)
5) Suggestions…?

54. Contact:
Mark Wilkinson
mark.wilkinson@upm.es
Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad grant number TIN2014-55993-RM