Curating the Future of Research: Navigating FAIR Challenges in Academic Repositories

Abstract:  This study examines consortia academic research data repositories, and their curators, across five global regions. Using an ad-hoc sample, we explore the roles of curators in research data repositories and their perceptions of skills and training, Research Data Management (RDM) practices, and the limitations, strengths, and opportunities they encounter in doing their work. Furthermore, our study analyses the roles of academic research repositories and the degree to which the FAIR principles are embedded in their strategic approaches. Our findings indicate that although numerous repositories are managed through collaborations among higher education bodies and research organisations, in certain nations, the development of research data repositories is in its early stage, often led by a single entity and having limited representation. Additionally, curators face challenges when dealing with the submission of datasets by researchers, who often provide insufficiently clear information for data reuse. We argue that despite the efforts to align data repositories with FAIR principles, substantial progress is required in educating researchers on their effective utilisation.