FAIR2 for research software: developing a FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) and reproducible research software training programme

Recently there has been growing recognition that research software, defined as “source code files, algorithms, scripts, computational workflows and executables that were created during the research process or for a research purpose”1, should adhere to the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) principles2, as well as meeting broader open research goals such as reproducibility. The FAIR guidelines for research software (FAIR4RS) provide a framework for the development of FAIR research software1. However, many researchers require additional support to meet these guidelines. Training in the FAIR4RS principles is needed to promote the uptake of FAIR research software practices3. The University of Sheffield Research Software Engineering team and collaborators developed a modular training programme to support researchers in applying FAIR principles and open research practices to their research software. Topics are offered as separate modules which can be selected according to an individual’s learning goals. We aim to motivate and equip participants with the skills and knowledge needed to create and publish FAIR research software, to meet our goal to support research excellence at the university by enhancing capacity for producing high quality, efficient and sustainable research software. So far the programme has attracted over 200 registrations and 150 attendees across the University of Sheffield, and provided over 40 hours of training, from software lifecycle planning and licensing to packaging and publishing software. Course materials have been developed as open educational resources under Creative Commons licensing. Feedback from participants indicates that this training is timely and relevant to researchers’ needs. 1 Barker et al., 2022, ‘Introducing the FAIR Principles for Research Software’. 2 Wilkinson et al., 2016, ‘The FAIR Guiding Principles for Scientific Data Management and Stewardship’. 3 Barker et al., 2024, ‘The FAIR for Research Software Principles after two years’.