Data Documentation Beyond Provenance: Metadata, Research Data Management, FAIR Principles

The process of data collection is often demanding in terms of labor and resources. Thus, it is all more important to make the most use out of what has been gathered—not limited to the initial purpose it was collected for but extending to uses in different contexts. In this chapter, we discuss requirements for such a data reuse across projects. We will cover the aspects of Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability as stated in the FAIR principles. Following a brief introduction to the data life cycle and research data management, the focus shifts to the application of FAIR principles in radio astronomy. Finally, we will explore efforts in other domains, both within and beyond astronomy, and discuss what can be learned from their efforts.