Codefair FAIR Software
Making your research software FAIR doesn't have to be complicated! Embrace the guidelines and discover how Codefair can simplify the process.
What is a research software?
The commonly accepted definition of research software is “Any software created during the research process or for a research purpose.” It can come in many formats and could be developed for different applications such as artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) models with Python, data visualization tools with Jupyter notebook, or data analysis code with R.
What does making a research software FAIR mean?
The FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) Principles for Research Software (FAIR4RS Principles) are a set of high-level instructions established by the research software community to make software reusable. Making research software FAIR means complying with each of the 17 FAIR principles.
Why should you make your research software FAIR?
Making software reusable is critical for many reasons including:
- Enable reproducible, transparent research
- Prevent duplicate effort
- Increase the pace of scientific discoveries and innovations
In addition to promoting good software development practices, making software FAIR can also benefit you personally:
- Gain recognition when your software is reused (proper citation)
- Increase collaboration opportunities
- Position yourself for more funding, as agencies like NIH and NSF are progressively requiring funded projects to make their software FAIR
What are the challenges of making software FAIR?
The FAIR4RS Principles, by design, are intended to provide a high-level framework for making software reusable and do not provide clear actionable instructions. Therefore, making software FAIR requires an in-depth understanding of each of the FAIR4RS Principles and figuring out how to practically comply with them.
Solution 1: FAIR-BioRS guidelines
To fill this gap, we established the FAIR Biomedical Research Software (FAIR-BioRS) guidelines, which are clear, step-by-step instructions for making biomedical research software FAIR. Although developed with biomedical software in mind, most elements apply to all research disciplines.
Solution 2: Codefair
While these guidelines are designed to be easy to follow, they can still be time-consuming to implement (we experienced this firsthand). That's why we developed Codefair: to make software FAIR without the hassle.