Il software è prodotto molto importante del lavoro scientifico, a volte indispensabile per capire i risultati stessi di una analisi. Può dunque essere valorizzato secondo i principi FAIR in modo da incentivarne la disponibilità e il riuso, ma è emersa l'esigenza di avere riferimenti più specifici.

Sono stati dunque messi a punto i FAIR4RS, principi FAIR appositamente riferiti al software, ed esposti nell'articolo Introducing the FAIR Principles for research software (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01710-x).

Allo stesso modo dei principi originali, anche quelli per il software sono astratti e teorici ("aspirational", secondo l'aggettivo inglese usato in entrambi i casi) e non citano standard, tecnologie o soluzioni tecnologiche specifiche.

Nel paper si sottolinea la distizione tra software di ricerca (research software) e software usato nella ricerca (software in research).

Research software is defined by the FAIR4RS WG as including “source code files, algorithms, scripts, computational workflows and executables that were created during the research process or for a research purpose. Software components (e.g., operating systems, libraries, dependencies, packages, scripts, etc.) that are used for research but were not created during or with a clear research intent should be considered software in research and not Research Software. This differentiation may vary between disciplines

Di seguito la lista dei principi:

F: Software, and its associated metadata, is easy for both humans and machines to find.
F1. Software is assigned a globally unique and persistent identifier.
F1.1. Components of the software representing levels of granularity are assigned distinct identifiers.
F1.2. Different versions of the software are assigned distinct identifiers.
F2. Software is described with rich metadata.
F3. Metadata clearly and explicitly include the identifier of the software they describe.
F4. Metadata are FAIR, searchable and indexable.

A: Software, and its metadata, is retrievable via standardised protocols.
A1. Software is retrievable by its identifier using a standardised communications protocol.
A1.1. The protocol is open, free, and universally implementable.
A1.2. The protocol allows for an authentication and authorization procedure, where necessary.
A2. Metadata are accessible, even when the software is no longer available.
 

I: Software interoperates with other software by exchanging data and/or metadata, and/or through interaction via application programming interfaces (APIs), described through standards.
I1. Software reads, writes and exchanges data in a way that meets domain-relevant community standards.
I2. Software includes qualified references to other objects.

R: Software is both usable (can be executed) and reusable (can be understood, modified, built upon, or incorporated into other software).
R1. Software is described with a plurality of accurate and relevant attributes.
R1.1. Software is given a clear and accessible license.
R1.2. Software is associated with detailed provenance.
R2. Software includes qualified references to other software.
R3. Software meets domain-relevant community standards.