Implementing FAIR and CARE Data Principles
The Government of Canada has long been entrusted with managing vast and diverse data, from health records and census data to environmental statistics and national security intelligence. This data is essential to shaping policies and improving the lives of Canadians. In recent years, the volume and complexity of this data have grown at an unprecedented rate.
With this data explosion comes a new set of challenges. People in Canada, civil society organizations, and even global watchdogs are demanding greater transparency, accountability, and ethical stewardship of this valuable resource. How should the government collect, store, and use this data responsibly? This is where the FAIR principles—focused on making data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable—become a crucial framework for navigating the evolving landscape of public data management.
What are the FAIR principles?
The FAIR principles, developed by a coalition of researchers, data stewards, and institutions in the academic and public sectors in 2016, are a set of best practices designed to make data valuable and usable over time. They are:
- Findable: Data should be easy to find by both humans and machines.
- Accessible: Data should be available in a usable format with clear access protocols and constraints.
- Interoperable: Data must be compatible across different systems and formats.
- Reusable: Data should be structured and documented in such a way that others can easily and appropriately reuse it for further analysis or innovation.
In 2020, the Government of Canada released the Roadmap for Open Science, urging all federal departments and agencies to develop strategies and tools for implementing the FAIR data principles. The goal was to improve the interoperability of research data across the public sector. Building on this momentum, Health Canada, along with other federal bodies, integrated these principles into Health Canada's Open Science Action Plan, which officially launched in 2022. And in 2025, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat published the Guidance on Assessing Readiness to Manage Data According to the Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) Principles which provides recommendations on how to apply the FAIR principles in practice.
However, the FAIR principles, while promoting open data, do not fully address issues related to power imbalances and historical context. To complement FAIR, the Global Indigenous Data Alliance introduced the CARE principles—collective benefit, authority to control, responsibility, and ethics. These principles ensure that data practices support Indigenous innovation and self-determination, emphasizing ethical stewardship and the importance of Indigenous Peoples' rights. By integrating CARE alongside FAIR, the aim is to empower Indigenous communities and respect their sovereignty in data governance.
The CARE principles
- Collective Benefit states that data ecosystems should be designed and function in ways that enable Indigenous Peoples to derive benefit from the data. Institutions must actively support and facilitate the use of data by Indigenous communities. This would promote the decision-making power of Indigenous nations by providing them with a better understanding of their peoples, territories, and resources.
- Authority to control refers to empowering Indigenous Peoples and communities to determine how Indigenous cultures, land, resources, knowledge, and people are represented and identified within data. Indigenous Peoples have the right to access data relevant to their world views, to develop cultural governance protocols for Indigenous data, and to be active leaders in the stewardship of and access to Indigenous data and knowledge.
- Those working with Indigenous data have a responsibility to share how the use of the data supports Indigenous self-determination and collective benefit. This responsibility includes providing access to resources to generate Indigenous data, supporting the development of an Indigenous data workforce, and ensuring that the creation, interpretation, and use of data is respectful to Indigenous communities.
- Ethics refers to the maintaining of ethical data processes that prioritize the well-being and rights of Indigenous Peoples across all stages of the data life cycle. Ethical data should strive to minimize current and potential future harm. Data should not stigmatize or portray Indigenous Peoples, cultures, or knowledge in terms of deficits.
Implementing the FAIR principles in your work
You've learned about the FAIR principles—now, how do you bring them to life in your work? The following strategies will help you maximize the value of your data.
Findable: Make your data easy to locate
- Metadata is key: Always include detailed, standardized metadata—clear descriptions, tags, and keywords—that improve searchability. Definition 1
- Persistent identifiers: Use permanent identifiers (like digital object identifiers) to ensure your data is easily retrievable in the long term. Definition 2
- Publish data in repositories: Upload your data to trusted and searchable platforms (such as the Government of Canada's open data platform) so that it's accessible to stakeholders and the public.
Accessible: Ensure data is available when needed
- Open access first: Prioritize making data publicly accessible. If restrictions apply (for example, because of privacy or security concerns), provide clear access mechanisms and justifications.
- Guarantee long-term access: Store data in sustainable formats and reliable platforms to preserve its usability in the future.
Interoperable: Make your data work seamlessly across computer systems
- Standardize formats: Use widely accepted file formats like CSV, JSON, and XML to ensure compatibility across platforms.
- Align with established standards: Use common vocabularies and taxonomies to reduce confusion and enhance data exchange.
- Enable data linkages: Allow data linkage to other relevant datasets.
Reusable: Maximize the potential of your data
- Clear licensing: Apply transparent, open licenses (for example, Creative Commons or the Government of Canada's Open Government Licence - Canada) so others know how they can use your data.
- Provide thorough documentation: Offer detailed explanations about how the data was created, its methodology, and its limitations, to support responsible use.
- Facilitate data use: Organize data so that it's easy to analyze, reformat, or combine with other datasets.
Integrating the CARE principles
In addition to FAIR, consider the ethical implications covered in CARE:
- Respect Indigenous perspectives: When working with data related to Indigenous communities, follow the CARE principles—ensure respect for Indigenous knowledge and collective benefit.
- Champion ethical stewardship: Prioritize fairness and accountability, particularly with sensitive or personal data. Protect privacy and be transparent about data usage.
These are high-level starting points. To go further into CARE, and into Indigenous considerations around data, consider reading our articles and taking courses found in the resources.
Benefits
Organizing data to be easily found, accessed, and reused not only saves time but also helps you make smarter, more informed decisions that drive better outcomes. With seamless data sharing, collaboration becomes easier, and the public can trust that their government is working in their best interest. By storing data in sustainable formats, you future-proof it for long-term use, ensuring it remains valuable for future decision-makers. This easy access to data sparks innovation and creative solutions, driving progress in the public sector. Ultimately, the FAIR principles foster transparency, accountability, and ethical stewardship, building public trust in government.
Conclusion
The adoption of FAIR and CARE principles represents a significant step towards responsible data stewardship in Canada, particularly as the country embraces open data initiatives. FAIR ensures that government data is accessible, interoperable, and reusable, fostering efficiency and collaboration across sectors. At the same time, CARE addresses ethical considerations, particularly with regard to Indigenous data sovereignty and collective benefit, ensuring that open data practices respect the rights and needs of all communities. As Canada continues to refine its data strategies, the challenge will be ensuring that these principles translate into meaningful action. Governments and agencies must remain proactive in balancing the goals of open data with their ethical responsibilities, ensuring transparency, security, and respect for diverse communities.
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