{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T11:25:52Z","timestamp":1777893952132,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"Ubiquity Press, Ltd.","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,26]],"date-time":"2024-04-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1714089600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["CODATA"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In response to recent shifts towards open science that emphasize transparency, reproducibility, and access to research data, the US Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a study to assess the degree to which USGS data assets meet the FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). The USGS designed and applied a methodology for quantitative analysis of FAIR characteristics. A new rubric was derived from a crosswalk of existing FAIR evaluation frameworks and customized for the USGS. The rubric, consisting of 62 yes\/no questions, was applied to 392 metadata records of USGS data products published between 1987 and 2022. Results were analyzed to show which FAIR characteristics were most and least present in the metadata and how these scores changed after the implementation of data policy requirements in 2016. Aggregated scores showed specific areas of strength and needed improvements. The greatest increases in FAIR scores over time were for elements that were required by new data policies, especially in the \u2018Findable\u2019 category. Based on the results, this paper presents strategies to further improve USGS alignment with FAIR. The suggested strategies are organized in four key areas: USGS data repository characteristics, training and communities of practice, data management policy considerations, and metadata standards, tools, and best practices.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.5334\/dsj-2024-022","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,26]],"date-time":"2024-04-26T10:00:12Z","timestamp":1714125612000},"page":"22","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["State of the Data: Assessing the FAIRness of US Geological Survey Data"],"prefix":"10.5334","volume":"23","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5301-3698","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vivian B.","family":"Hutchison","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0797-3940","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tamar","family":"Norkin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3595-7809","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lisa S.","family":"Zolly","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5353-807X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leslie","family":"Hsu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"3285","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,26]]},"reference":[{"issue":"5","key":"key20240426060005_B1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"417","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cels.2019.09.011","article-title":"FAIRshake: Toolkit to evaluate the FAIRness of research digital resources","volume":"9","year":"2019","journal-title":"Cell Systems"},{"issue":"11","key":"key20240426060005_B2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100370","DOI":"10.1016\/j.patter.2021.100370","article-title":"An automated solution for measuring the progress toward FAIR research data","volume":"2","year":"2021","journal-title":"Patterns"},{"key":"key20240426060005_B3","unstructured":"FAIRsFAIR 2022. FAIRsFAIR: Fostering FAIR data practices in Europe. Available at https:\/\/www.fairsfair.eu [Last accessed June 01, 2023]."},{"key":"key20240426060005_B4","article-title":"The United States Geological Survey Science Data Lifecycle Model","year":"2014","journal-title":"US Geological Survey Open-File Report 2013\u20131265"},{"key":"key20240426060005_B5","unstructured":"Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) 1998. FGDC-STD-001\u20131998. Content standard for digital geospatial metadata, Version 2. Available at https:\/\/www.fgdc.gov\/standards\/projects\/metadata\/base-metadata [Last accessed October 01, 2023]."},{"key":"key20240426060005_B6","article-title":"US Geological Survey Fundamental Science Practices","author":"Fundamental Science Practices Advisory Committee (FSPAC)","year":"2011","journal-title":"US Geological Survey Circular 1367"},{"key":"key20240426060005_B7","article-title":"Update on US Geological Survey Fundamental Science Practices","author":"Fundamental Science Practices Advisory Committee (FSPAC)","year":"2023","journal-title":"US Geological Survey Circular 1503"},{"key":"key20240426060005_B8","unstructured":"Go FAIR n.d. Go FAIR Initiative. Available at https:\/\/www.go-fair.org\/go-fair-initiative [Last accessed 2020]."},{"key":"key20240426060005_B9","unstructured":"Habermann, T and Jones, MB 2020. Data Observation Network for Earth (DataONE)\/Metadata Game Changers FAIR Metadata Recommendations. Unpublished version. Presented at https:\/\/2020esipwintermeeting.sched.com\/event\/VaXT\/fair-metadata-recommendations [Last accessed March 25, 2020]."},{"key":"key20240426060005_B10","article-title":"Community for data integration 2020 annual report","year":"2022","journal-title":"U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2022\u20131034"},{"issue":"1","key":"key20240426060005_B11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.2218\/ijdc.v16i1.741","article-title":"Leveraging existing technology: Developing a trusted digital repository for the U.S. Geological Survey","volume":"16","year":"2021","journal-title":"International Journal of Digital Curation"},{"key":"key20240426060005_B12","article-title":"USGS State of the Data Project: Rubric and Assessment Data","year":"2023","journal-title":"US Geological Survey data release"},{"key":"key20240426060005_B13","unstructured":"Jones, MB, Slaughter, P, Habermann, T and Gordon, S 2019. metadig-checks: MetaDIG suites and checks for data and metadata improvement and guidance. Available at https:\/\/github.com\/NCEAS\/metadig-checks [Last accessed 2020]."},{"key":"key20240426060005_B14","article-title":"Opportunities to improve alignment with the FAIR Principles for US Geological Survey data","year":"2022","journal-title":"US Geological Survey Open-File Report 2022\u20131043"},{"key":"key20240426060005_B15","unstructured":"Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 2013. Open Data Policy: Managing Information as an Asset (OMB Memorandum M-13-13). Available at https:\/\/digital.gov\/resources\/open-data-policy-m-13-13."},{"key":"key20240426060005_B16","unstructured":"OSTP 2013. Memorandum for the heads of executive departments and agencies: Increasing access to the results of federally funded scientific research. Available at https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/08-2022-OSTP-Public-Access-Memo.pdf."},{"key":"key20240426060005_B17","article-title":"Memorandum for the heads of executive departments and agencies: Ensuring free, immediate, and equitable access to federally funded research","author":"OSTP","year":"2022"},{"key":"key20240426060005_B18","article-title":"Finding harmony in FAIRness","volume":"104","year":"2023","journal-title":"Eos"},{"key":"key20240426060005_B19","unstructured":"Peng, G n.d. Data Stewardship Maturity Matrix (DSMM) resources. Available at https:\/\/ncics.org\/portfolio\/data-stewardship\/dsmm\/ [Last accessed 2021]."},{"key":"key20240426060005_B20","article-title":"An overview of community FAIR practices \u2013 NASA O\u2019FAIR WG inception report","author":"NASA O\u2019FAIR Working Group","year":"2023"},{"issue":"0","key":"key20240426060005_B21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.2481\/dsj.14-049","article-title":"A unified framework for measuring stewardship practices applied to digital environmental datasets","volume":"13","year":"2015","journal-title":"Data Science Journal"},{"issue":"5","key":"key20240426060005_B22","article-title":"From open data to open science","volume":"8","year":"2021","journal-title":"Earth and Space Science"},{"key":"key20240426060005_B23","article-title":"FAIR Data Maturity Model: Specification and guidelines (1.0)","author":"RDA FAIR Data Maturity Model Working Group","year":"2020"},{"key":"key20240426060005_B24","article-title":"The Open, Public, Electronic, and Necessary Government Data Act or the OPEN Government Data Act (H.R. 1770)","author":"US Congress","year":"2017"},{"key":"key20240426060005_B25","article-title":"Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (H.R. 4174)","author":"US Congress","year":"2018"},{"key":"key20240426060005_B26","unstructured":"US Geological Survey (USGS) 2016. Public access to results of federally funded research at the US Geological Survey. Available at https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/office-of-science-quality-and-integrity\/public-access-results-federally-funded-research-us [Last accessed October 1, 2023]."},{"key":"key20240426060005_B27","unstructured":"US Geological Survey (USGS) 2017a. 502.6- Fundamental science practices: Scientific data management. Available at https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/survey-manual\/5026-fundamental-science-practices-scientific-data-management."},{"key":"key20240426060005_B28","unstructured":"US Geological Survey (USGS) 2017b. 502.7- Fundamental science practices: Metadata for USGS scientific information products including data. Available at https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/survey-manual\/5027-fundamental-science-practices-metadata-usgs-scientific-information-products."},{"key":"key20240426060005_B29","unstructured":"US Geological Survey (USGS) 2017c. 502.8- Fundamental science practices: Review and approval of scientific data for release. Available at https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/survey-manual\/5028-fundamental-science-practices-review-and-approval-scientific-data-release."},{"key":"key20240426060005_B30","unstructured":"US Geological Survey (USGS) 2017d. 502.9- Fundamental science practices: Preservation requirements for digital scientific data. Available at https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/survey-manual\/5029-fundamental-science-practices-preservation-requirements-digital-scientific-data."},{"key":"key20240426060005_B31","unstructured":"US Geological Survey (USGS) 2023. CDI activities in FY 2023. Available at https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/community-data-integration-activities\/cdi-activities-fy-2023 [Accessed March 6, 2024]."},{"key":"key20240426060005_B32","unstructured":"US Geological Survey (USGS) n.d.-a. Data management \u2013 Data release. Available at https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/data-management\/data-release [Last accessed October 1, 2023]."},{"key":"key20240426060005_B33","unstructured":"US Geological Survey (USGS) n.d.-b. USGS Science Data Catalog (SDC). Available at https:\/\/data.usgs.gov\/datacatalog [Last accessed October 1, 2023]."},{"key":"key20240426060005_B34","unstructured":"US Geological Survey (USGS) and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) n.d. mdToolkit. Available at https:\/\/www.mdtoolkit.org [Last accessed October 1, 2023]."},{"key":"key20240426060005_B35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"160018","DOI":"10.1038\/sdata.2016.18","article-title":"The FAIR Guiding principles for scientific data management and stewardship","volume":"3","year":"2016","journal-title":"Scientific Data"},{"key":"key20240426060005_B36","article-title":"A design framework and exemplar metrics for FAIRness","volume":"5","year":"2018","journal-title":"Scientific Data"}],"container-title":["Data Science Journal"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/account.datascience.codata.org\/index.php\/up-j-dsj\/article\/download\/1624\/1311","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/account.datascience.codata.org\/index.php\/up-j-dsj\/article\/download\/1624\/1312","content-type":"text\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/account.datascience.codata.org\/index.php\/up-j-dsj\/article\/download\/1624\/1313","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/account.datascience.codata.org\/index.php\/up-j-dsj\/article\/download\/1624\/1314","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/account.datascience.codata.org\/index.php\/up-j-dsj\/article\/download\/1624\/1315","content-type":"application\/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/account.datascience.codata.org\/index.php\/up-j-dsj\/article\/download\/1624\/1311","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,26]],"date-time":"2024-04-26T10:06:27Z","timestamp":1714125987000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/account.datascience.codata.org\/index.php\/up-j-dsj\/article\/view\/1624"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,26]]},"references-count":36,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5334\/dsj-2024-022","relation":{},"ISSN":["1683-1470"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1683-1470","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,26]]}}}