Research data portal
FAIR and CARE
What are the FAIR Principles?
The FAIR Data Principles aim to make data as reusable as possible. Since their publication in 2016, these guiding principles have been adopted by research institutions, funders, policymakers and publishers worldwide. At UiT The Arctic University of Norway, FAIR serves as the foundation for our Principles and guidelines for management of research data.
FAIR stands for Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable:
- Findable data is discoverable by both humans and machines, thanks to persistent identifiers (e.g. DOIs) and rich metadata (information about data).
- Accessible data can be retrieved by humans and machines, subject to restrictions where necessary.
- Interoperable data can be used across systems and platforms and combined with other datasets, thanks to open file formats and standardized metadata.
- Data that is reusable is thoroughly described and has clear reuse terms.
There are many resources that explore the details of FAIR, such as “How to FAIR” and OpenAIRE’s “How to make your data FAIR”. However, the simplest way to follow the FAIR Principles is to archive your data in a trustworthy research data repository.
Following the FAIR Principles does not necessarily mean making data openly available to everyone. Legal or ethical considerations may prevent the open publication of research data. However, it is still possible to follow the FAIR Principles by making data “as open as possible, as closed as necessary”. This could, for instance, involve archiving data in a research data repository where metadata are openly available, but access to the actual data is restricted.
It is important to note that the FAIR Principles are not strict rules or standards, but rather a set of guiding principles. The goal is to make your data as FAIR as possible, while recognizing that it may not always be feasible to make your data “fully” FAIR.
What are the CARE Principles?
The CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance aim to safeguard the rights and interests of Indigenous Peoples concerning data about them, their cultures and their territories.
CARE stands for:
- Collective Benefit: Data ecosystems should be designed to ensure that Indigenous Peoples benefit from Indigenous data.
- Authority to Control: Indigenous Peoples’ rights and interests in Indigenous data must be recognized, including authority to control how the data is used.
- Responsibility: Researchers have a responsibility to demonstrate how data are used to support Indigenous Peoples’ self-determination.
- Ethics: Indigenous Peoples’ rights and wellbeing must be prioritized at every stage of the data lifecycle.
The CARE Principles are designed to complement the FAIR Principles. While FAIR addresses technical aspects of making data reusable, CARE focuses on ethically and culturally respectful data management practices. Although the CARE Principles were specifically developed for Indigenous Data, they are also relevant in contexts where the rights and interests of other communities need protection. At UiT The Arctic University of Norway, the CARE Principles are part of our Principles and guidelines for management of research data.
It is important to note that the CARE Principles are an overarching framework designed to align with community-specific principles. For example, the CARE Principles have been adapted to the Sámi context as the Sámi Ownership and Data Access Principles (SODA). For an overview of locally designed Indigenous data governance models and principles, see the CARE Data Maturity Model.
Remember to involve relevant Indigenous communities at all stages of your research project and to document their involvement. For more information, explore the resources developed by the Global Indigenous Data Alliance (GIDA) or get in touch with the University Library Research Data team.
Updated: 17.11.2025, updated by: Rune Karolius
