Biomedical Research Software Guidelines
Minimal and actionable step-by-step guidelines for making
biomedical research software reusable in line with the FAIR4RS principles
About
The FAIR Biomedical Research Software (FAIR-BioRS) guidelines are a set of minimal and actionable step-by-step instructions for making biomedical research software FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), i.e., optimizing their reusability.
What are the FAIR Data Principles?
- The FAIR Data Principles are a set of guidelines for curating and sharing research data such that they are optimaly reusable by both humans and machines.
When to use the FAIR-BioRS guidelines?
- Developing biomedical research software according to FAIR-BioRS guidelines ensures compliance with FAIR Principles, facilitating recognition, impact, collaboration, and meeting funding agency requirements for FAIR research outcomes.
Why were these guidelines needed?
- The increasing importance of research software in biomedical research necessitates its reusability for reproducibility and accelerating discoveries, with FAIR principles serving as a foundation. However, adaptations specific to software, like those proposed by the RDA FAIR for Research Software (FAIR4RS) Working Group, are essential due to the unique traits of software, yet actionable guidelines for researchers are lacking.
How does FAIRshare help?
- FAIRshare is a cross-platform desktop software that allows researchers to easily organize and share their biomedical data and software according to applicable FAIR guidelines.
Development Approach
The FAIR-BioRS guidelines are maintained in a GitHub repository and are developed in an open and transparent manner. The guidelines are developed in collaboration with the FAIR4RS community and are open for contributions from the community. The guidelines are developed in a modular manner and are versioned to ensure that the guidelines are stable and can be referenced in publications.
Funding
FAIRshare is funded through a supplemental award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Team Members
Research Partners
The first phase of development of FAIRshare is focused on supporting COVID-19 and other infectious diseases data and software. FAIRshare is developed in collaboration with Dr. Zicheng Hu (UCSF) and his colleagues at University of California, San Francisco and Stanford University who are conducting a clinical trial for a novel treatment approach for COVID-19. They will be providing overall guidance on the applicable FAIR guidelines as well as conducting beta testing of the software.
Timeline
November 2020 - Birth of FAIRshare
The first prototype of FAIRshare is developed for demo purpose by the FAIR Data Innovations Hub.
September 2021 - Aug 2022 - Phase I development
The base framework of the software will be developed and support will be provided for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases related data types (genomics, immunology, etc.) and software.
Impact
Making Biomedical Research Software FAIR: Actionable Step-by-step Guidelines with a User-support Tool
Citation
Patel, B., Soundarajan, S., Ménager, H., & Hu, Z. (2023). Making Biomedical Research Software FAIR: Actionable Step-by-step Guidelines with a User-support Tool. Scientific Data, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02463-x