The adoption of FAIR principles by Italian environmental research infrastructures is highly heterogeneous: each scientific community applies FAIR principles differently, depending on its specific needs and level of maturity. This is the conclusion of a study published in the journal Patterns, conducted by scientists from the Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems of the National Research Council (CNR-IRET). The team, which includes researchers from the Institute’s Lecce branch, provides a clear picture of the current state of FAIR principles implementation. The study thus serves as a reference point for monitoring future progress in the adoption of FAIR practices.
Today’s environmental crises, the experts explain, require not only new scientific knowledge, but also the ability to effectively share, integrate, and reuse existing data. Environmental research infrastructures play a key role because they ensure that research outputs are preserved over time and made available to support evidence-based decisions and policies.
In this context, FAIR principles offer essential guidance, but their implementation is complex and varies significantly across different communities. Hence the need for a systematic analysis documenting how these principles are applied in Italy and what differences emerge.
The research team’s analysis reveals a considerable degree of heterogeneity in the adoption of FAIR principles. Nonetheless, the authors note emerging trends of convergence, particularly in the marine domain, where certain common practices are already well established.
“We adopted a three-phase approach,” explains Enrica Nestola, CNR-IRET researcher and first author of the paper, “which examined 14 research infrastructures involved in the ITINERIS project and belonging to four environmental subdomains (atmosphere, ocean, biosphere, geosphere). The first phase consisted of a structured survey to collect comparable information on data management and levels of adherence to FAIR principles.” “Subsequently,” the expert continues, “we carried out qualitative interviews to explore the specific choices made by each RI. Finally, we conducted a resource analysis, a direct assessment of the platforms, digital services, and documentation made available by the research infrastructures.” This approach enabled the researchers to obtain a comprehensive and multi-layered overview of current FAIR practices.
The findings provide several strategic contributions, the authors report. First, the data may help other scientific communities navigate the development of FAIR-compliant platforms and services by showing what is being used, where critical issues arise, and which strategies may foster convergence. At the same time, the results offer a national baseline for assessing the evolution of FAIR practices over time, both in Italy and across the European landscape.
“Overall,” Nestola concludes, “our study supports the development of interoperable digital ecosystems ready to sustain research on global environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity, and natural hazards.”
