research science fair meaning

Steps in a Science Fair Project

What are the steps in a science fair project.

• Pick a topic
• Construct an exhibit for results
• Write a report
• Practice presenting

Some science fair projects are experiments to test a hypothesis . Other science fair projects attempt to answer a question or demonstrate how nature works or even invent a technology to measure something.

Before you start, find out which of these are acceptable kinds of science fair projects at your school. You can learn something and have fun using any of these approaches.

• First, pick a topic. Pick something you are interested in, something you'd like to think about and know more about.
• Then do some background research on the topic.
• Decide whether you can state a hypothesis related to the topic (that is, a cause and effect statement that you can test), and follow the strict method listed above, or whether you will just observe something, take and record measurements, and report.
• Design and carry out your research, keeping careful records of everything you do or see and your results or observations.
• Construct an exhibit or display to show and explain to others what you hoped to test (if you had a hypothesis) or what question you wanted to answer, what you did, what your data showed, and your conclusions.
• Write a short report that also states the same things as the exhibit or display, and also gives the sources of your initial background research.
• Practice describing your project and results, so you will be ready for visitors to your exhibit at the science fair.

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While it’s unlikely that you have reached high school without having ever heard of a science fair, it’s completely possible that you’ve gotten this far without having ever participated in one. For many students, a science fair is a rite of passage. It could be the first time that you design and complete a scientific experiment outside of a teacher-led lab period. It may also be the first time you have formally presented your learning to a panel of independent judges, most of whom you have probably never met before. It can be an intimidating or overwhelming experience if you are not quite sure what to expect. But lucky for you, the CollegeVine team has some great tips for first-time science fair participants!

If you’ve never participated in a science fair before, you may be wondering what a science fair really is.

Generally, a science fair is a formal competition in which contestants present the findings of scientific experiments in the form of a display and/or model that they have created. A panel of independent judges is assigned to assess each project and scores them on a pre-determined rubric. At the end of the fair, high scorers are announced as the winners and often the winners of a local science fair will be invited to compete at higher-level fairs, such as regional or state fairs. Winners can even progress all the way to national and international science fairs.

The level of your science fair will determine what type of project is appropriate. Typically elementary school level science fairs will include collections and report-based projects displaying new knowledge gained through independent study. These include things like rock collections and habitat reports. At middle school fairs, you will begin to see demonstrations of scientific principles, such as the oh-so-common baking soda and vinegar volcano. You may also see engineering projects that involve designing or improving a device or material, like a new cup holder for a bike. By the high school level, though, these kinds of projects are no longer appropriate.

Science fair projects by students older than middle-school age should focus on true engineering or scientific experimentation.

Engineering projects should be in-depth evaluations of an existing device, material, or technology. They should thoroughly examine the ways in which the existing product falls short or becomes impractical in specific situations. Your work on an engineering project should result in the creation of a working prototype that addresses these shortcomings. You should produce an alternative model that is feasible in terms of production, cost, and ease of use. Successful engineering projects have included prototypes for new, portable water filtration systems or affordable, functional prosthetic limbs. Before you proceed with an engineering project, check with your science teacher or the fair’s organizers to make sure that this is an acceptable choice. Some science fairs might strictly accept experiments only.        

If you do not choose an engineering project, you will need to choose a scientific experiment. This is by far the most common type of project at the high school level and if you are familiar with the procedure for completing and writing up lab experiments in your science classes, you will be familiar with the process for completing a science fair experiment.

There are two primary differences between a class lab experiment and a science fair experiment. First, your science fair project is self-chosen rather than assigned. When you complete a lab for class, you are usually assigned a specific experiment to complete. In the science fair, you will need to come up with your own. Second, unlike a lab experiment in which the entire class usually replicates a single experiment, an experiment for the science fair is completed by only you, or you and a partner if partners are allowed. 

Before you begin brainstorming your specific project, make sure you have a lab notebook to keep track of all your work.

This could be a simple composition book or a duplicate style lab notebook. In any case, as soon as you get it, you should number all of the pages in it, leaving two blanks at the beginning to be labeled “Table of Contents”. This may seem tedious, but you will be grateful that you did so when you can easily add sections to your table of contents and find relevant research quickly.

You should use this notebook to keep a permanent record of all the work you do on your science fair project. It should contain initial brainstorming, notes from background research, and drafts of material lists and experimental designs. Even if you get halfway through your background research and choose a new topic, continue to use the same notebook. You never know when your previous brainstorming or research will come in handy. 

Once you have decided which type of project to pursue and you’ve set up a lab notebook, your work will begin in earnest. Below, find 9 key steps to a successful first science fair.

1. Know the Rules

Every science fair has rules outlining who is eligible to participate and what kind of projects may be entered. These rules are always available ahead of time, so be sure to check them early on and make sure that any work you do adheres to them. Some of the rules are designed to keep you safe, like limiting the ways in which potentially hazardous chemicals can be used. Other rules are designed to keep the environment safe, like placing restrictions on how you dispose of foreign substances or non-native species. There are also ethical rules that govern the use of human participants or vertebrate animals in your studies.

Any science fair associated with Intel’s International Science and Engineering Fair is governed by their rules, available on their website here . Make sure to check which rules govern your school’s fair and how they might impact your ideas before you put any more thought into your project.    

2. Brainstorming and Background Research

You can start brainstorming for project ideas as soon as you’ve read the fair’s rules and decided whether to do an engineering project or a science experiment project. Keep a running list of possible projects based on your interests in the sciences and any scientific questions you may have. Also think about what specialized lab equipment you might have access to, and who you could ask to be your mentor. A mentor is not a necessity to participate in the science fair, but most competitors who go on to be successful at the state and national level have a mentor who has helped to shape their thinking and provide feedback through the testing process. For more information, about finding a mentor and choosing a topic, check out the CollegeVine “Guide to Choosing a Winning Science Fair Project”. 

The first real step in working on your specific science fair project comes in the form of background research. You should aim to become an expert in your field. You should be familiar with groundbreaking studies and with current work that is being done to increase understanding. Make sure to keep notes and a working citations list in your notebook. 

3 . Experimental Design or Prototype Design

It is only after extensive background research that you will be able to come up with an experimental or prototype design for your project.

If you’re doing an experiment, just as in a lab experiment, you will need to create a controlled study, accounting for all variables. You will need to make the test as “fair” as possible to isolate the variable you’re testing.

For example, if you’re comparing the effectiveness of three different kinds of fertilizers on pea plants, make sure that you have a fourth group that is the control group, grown without any fertilizer. Also ensure that all other variables are exactly the same; the plants need to receive exactly the same amount of light, water, and soil in order to compare growth across fertilizer groups.

If you’re doing an engineering project, you will need to create a specific design for your prototype, considering things like materials, cost, and function. It will often take more than one design before you come up with something that’s likely to work. Often, you will go back and forth between the prototype design and the prototype testing phase many times before you find a design that meets all of your criteria for success.

4. Data Collection or Prototype Testing

While you’re experimenting, take consistent, accurate measurements and input them straight into your lab notebook.

If you’re building a prototype, you will probably need to make several different models, comparing their function, cost, and ease of production before you can argue which is best.

For both types of projects, take lots of photographs. These will serve to document your work and will become valuable visual aids for your science fair display.

5. Evaluate your Data or Prototype

Once you have gathered your data or tested your prototype, you will need to evaluate it.

When interpreting data, be careful not to let your hypothesis influence your interpretation. If you are capable of running a statistical analysis to confirm the validity of your findings, definitely do so. This means using standard deviation to determine if your results are statistically significant. Running such an analysis is often above the skill set expected at the high school level, but if you know how to do so, you can definitely set yourself apart. If you cannot run a statistical analysis, instead think about ways in which you could further test your project’s findings.

If you’ve built a prototype, try to be its toughest critic. Come up with ideas for making it more streamlined, more cost-effective, more portable, or more visually appealing. Judges will appreciate your efforts to improve on your design, even if it’s already successful. 

6. Write a Scientific Report

Your report will contain all the same elements of a lab report. These include the following sections:

• Introduction
• Materials and Methods

Your report should be written in the passive voice, just as you would write a lab. In fact, it sometimes helps to think of it as a very long, in-depth lab report like you would write for class. Have a friend, teacher, or mentor proofread your paper and write at least two drafts of it. 

7. Create a Visual Display

When your paper is complete, you can work on your display. Your display should include a summary of your work in a visually appealing manner. You will need to have each section of your paper clearly labeled and available for reading. You should also include photos, graphs, diagrams, or any other visual aids that will develop your audience’s understanding. Usually, a regular poster board is not enough space to display a project like this, and often your display will need to be self-standing. A trifold display board similar to this can be found online or at your local office supply store.

If you have any hands-on elements that you’re able to bring, you should definitely do so. Your prototype itself is an ideal prop for showing off your hard work.

8. Practice Your Presentation

Just because you’ve finished your paper and put together your display, that doesn’t mean that your work is done. You’ll need to practice your presentation in much the same way that you would practice for an interview. Stand in front of a mirror and summarize your findings. Try to anticipate what questions a judge might have.   The most common questions from a science fair judge are “What would you do differently next time?” and “What would you do next?” 

9. On the night of the science fair . . .    

Dress for success. First impressions matter so make sure to wear something that would be appropriate for a professional event. This means at minimum a collared shirt and tie, or blouse and skirt or slacks. When the judges arrive (usually one at a time) greet them with a confident smile and a firm handshake. Introduce yourself and your project, and ask if they would like to have a look at your work or if they’d like you to introduce the project first. It’s easy to be nervous but try to relax and take the opportunity to learn as much as you can from them.

Your first science fair can seem intimidating if you don’t know where to start, but with a step-by-step approach to choosing your project, conducting your work, and preparing for the fair, you will find that each task on its own is completely manageable. A science fair is a great way to build experience in presenting information to independent judges, and an even better way to practice the skills that research scientists and engineers use on a daily basis. You might even form a lasting relationship with your mentor or fellow presenters. If you’re considering participating in the science fair, your aim should be to learn more about a topic that you’re interested in and to gain experience in conducting research and presenting your work. Though it’s always nice to win, there are many advantages to participating even if you come home without a blue ribbon.

If you are interested in engineering and want to pursue it further, check out CollegeVine’s article, “How to Spend Your Summer as an Aspiring Engineer” .   Or, if you’re interested in pursuing the sciences in college but haven’t yet taken many advanced science classes, read our guide on How the Classes You Take Affect Your Chances at Admissions .  

Want access to expert college guidance — for free? When you create your free CollegeVine account, you will find out your real admissions chances, build a best-fit school list, learn how to improve your profile, and get your questions answered by experts and peers—all for free. Sign up for your CollegeVine account today to get a boost on your college journey.  

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Do a Science Fair Project!

How do you do a science fair project.

Ask a parent, teacher, or other adult to help you research the topic and find out how to do a science fair project about it.

Test, answer, or show?

Your science fair project may do one of three things:

Test an idea (or hypothesis.)

Answer a question.

Show how nature works.

Topic ideas:

Space topics:.

How do the constellations change in the night sky over different periods of time?

How does the number of stars visible in the sky change from place to place because of light pollution?

Learn about and demonstrate the ancient method of parallax to measure the distance to an object, such as stars and planets.

Study different types of stars and explain different ways they end their life cycles.

Earth topics:

How do the phases of the Moon correspond to the changing tides?

Demonstrate what causes the phases of the Moon?

How does the tilt of Earth’s axis create seasons throughout the year?

How do weather conditions (temperature, humidity) affect how fast a puddle evaporates?

How salty is the ocean?

Solar system topics:

How does the size of a meteorite relate to the size of the crater it makes when it hits Earth?

How does the phase of the Moon affect the number of stars visible in the sky?

Show how a planet’s distance from the Sun affects its temperature.

Sun topics:

Observe and record changes in the number and placement of sun spots over several days. DO NOT look directly at the Sun!

Make a sundial and explain how it works.

Show why the Moon and the Sun appear to be the same size in the sky.

How effective are automobile sunshades?

Study and explain the life space of the sun relative to other stars.

Pick a topic.

Try to find out what people already know about it.

State a hypothesis related to the topic. That is, make a cause-and-effect-statement that you can test using the scientific method .

Explain something.

Make a plan to observe something.

Design and carry out your research, keeping careful records of everything you do or see.

Create an exhibit or display to show and explain to others what you hoped to test (if you had a hypothesis) or what question you wanted to answer, what you did, what your data showed, and your conclusions.

Write a short report that also states the same things as the exhibit or display, and also gives the sources of your initial background research.

Practice describing your project and results, so you will be ready for visitors to your exhibit at the science fair.

Follow these steps to a successful science fair entry!

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Parents' Guide to Science Fair Project Vocabulary

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Benefits of Science Fair Projects for Kids

Science fair project terms, choosing a science fair project idea, tips for working with your child.

How can you help your child with her science fair project when you don't understand the many terms used? Read on for some definitions to bring you up to speed, along with thoughts on how working with your child on a science fair project can improve your relationship.

Science fairs are a great way to teach kids to investigate our world. From breakthroughs in our understanding of the biology of cancer to disease outbreaks such as the Zika virus to fears about the Yellowstone supervolcano, these topics are in the news daily.​ Schools have changed remarkably in recent years, and most of these projects require parental input. At the same time, the world has changed, and kids are often learning terms unfamiliar to their parents.

It's not just learning science that's at stake here. Relationships between children and parents are changing. First, we heard about the quality of time versus the quantity, but now that quality time is often threatened by anything with a screen. Doing a science project with your child—with your phones turned off or in another room—is a great opportunity to re-establish or improve your connection.

Even the times when we converse with each other, the topics have changed. The latest media hype or Hollywood antics have replaced some of the more in-depth topics of discussion. With a science project , you may discuss problems that are more meaningful than the last media scare or celebrity slip-up.

For example, how do doctors figure out how a drug works to treat cancer? What happens when you are stung by a mosquito, and why do some people receive more bites than others? How do we know the world isn't flat? How should you behave around a person with autism, and what is life like for that person. What happens to children who are bullied ?

To be an active parent in helping with the project, you'll likely be reading scientific publications. There's no need to panic.

After your child poses a question for her science fair project, she will be asked to generate a hypothesis. If she is experimenting, you will need to identify the dependent and independent variables. If these terms are already leaving you confused, don't fret. Here's a list of the science project terms and definitions you need to know as a parent.

Abstract : A brief summary of your child’s science fair project. An abstract should explain the project concisely, using about 200-250 words.

Analysis : The explanation of the data your child has gathered. The analysis will describe the results of the experiment, what those results proved, whether or not the hypothesis was correct (and why), and what your child learned.

Application : The real-world implications of what an experiment discovered. In other words, how that information can be used to make changes to how something is done.

Conclusion : The answer to the initial question posed by your child’s science fair project. The conclusion sums everything up.

Control : The component or variable of the experiment in which nothing changes or is changed.

Data : Data is information, specifically, the information gathered before, during, and after an experiment that is used to reach a conclusion.

Dependent Variable : The dependent variable is the component or piece of the experiment that changes based on the independent variable.

Display Board : The free-standing cardboard, typically trifold, on which your child will display information about his science fair project. The display board is how the general public will learn about his experiment.

Graph : A chart that visually displays the data of the experiment. It can be a numbered grid or a spreadsheet.

Hypothesis : The “educated guess” as to what will happen during a science experiment when certain variables are introduced or changed. It is a prediction of the answer to the question posed by the science fair project.

Independent Variable : The piece or component of the experiment that is changed while everything else stays the same. The independent variable tests the “what if’s” of the project.

Log : A scientific log is a written account of what happened moment by moment (or day by day, depending on the project) throughout the project/experiment.

Procedure :   The step-by-step directions of how to experiment. The procedure should be clear enough that anyone who reads it can replicate the experiment.

Purpose (Problem) : The question the science project sets out to prove or test.

Science Project Proposal : A brief description of a proposed science fair project. The proposal should include the problem, the hypothesis, and the procedure. It sometimes will include an explanation of the independent and dependent variables and a material list as well.

Scientific Method : An organized manner of discovering something, the scientific method must be followed to make a project valid. The scientific method has six steps: Observation, Question, Hypothesis, Experimentation, Analysis, and Conclusion.

If your child is still brainstorming an idea for their project, how can you help? You may best capture her interest if you look at topics that are being researched today. The field of immunotherapy, for example, can be fascinating as you look at how doctors are using our immune systems to fight cancer.

Or perhaps you can re-ask one of those challenging questions your child asked when younger. How far does space go? Looking at something such as this allows you to let your child know how special she is by recalling things she said long ago.

Another idea may be a question someone in your family has asked. Why do some people need allergy shots, and how do they work? What exactly is an allergy? Why do so many kids have peanut allergies these days, and should peanuts be banned from schools?

There are many ideas for science fair projects online. The key is to make the project something your child is interested in researching, rather than you.

If you think of the importance of communication with your child, you would think that parents would be required to take classes. For example, nurses are instructed on communication techniques because of the importance of patient-health professional interaction. Those in sales are taught a multitude of methods for understanding people.

And those in management? A glance online reveals seminars galore on how to communicate. Yet parents, as the primary influence in the life of a precious child, are taught little. Your science fair project, however, can give you a chance to practice!

You may want to begin by learning some of the mistakes parents make when talking to kids. Perhaps the most important mistake is to allow kids to finish what they are saying. Be comfortable with moments of silence. Let your child work through problems before giving her your answer.

Avoid focusing on the grade and instead focus on what your child can learn. Yet if your child is excited about going for an "A" go along with her goal. To be prepared ahead of time for frustrating moments, think about the traits and habits of good parents .

A Word From Verywell

We've shared the definitions of common science fair terms so you can help your child on her science fair project. The reason being is that working together on science fair projects is a great way for a parent and child to focus on a task as a team and practice communication skills.

If you view the project as an opportunity to improve communication with your child, you may feel a bit less frustrated when the project becomes—as many parents would agree—a much more significant undertaking than anticipated.

How To Design a Science Fair Experiment

Design a Science Fair Experiment Using the Scientific Method

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A good science fair experiment applies the scientific method to answer a question or test an effect. Follow these steps to design an experiment that follows the approved procedure for science fair projects.

State an Objective

Science fair projects start with a purpose or objective. Why are you studying this? What do you hope to learn? What makes this topic interesting? An objective is a brief statement of the goal of an experiment, which you can use to help narrow down choices for a hypothesis.

Propose a Testable Hypothesis

The hardest part of experimental design may be the first step, which is deciding what to test and proposing a hypothesis you can use to build an experiment.

You could state the hypothesis as an if-then statement. Example: "If plants are not given light, then they will not grow."

You could state a null or no-difference hypothesis, which is an easy form to test. Example: There is no difference in the size of beans soaked in water compared with beans soaked in saltwater.

The key to formulating a good science fair hypothesis is to make sure you have the ability to test it, record data, and draw a conclusion. Compare these two hypotheses and decide which you could test:

Cupcakes sprinkled with colored sugar are better than plain frosted cupcakes.

People are more likely to choose cupcakes sprinkled with colored sugar than plain frosted cupcakes.

Once you have an idea for an experiment, it often helps to write out several different versions of a hypothesis and select the one that works best for you.

See Hypothesis Examples

Identify the Independent, Dependent, and Control Variable

To draw a valid conclusion from your experiment, you ideally want to test the effect of changing one factor, while holding all other factors constant or unchanged. There are several possible variables in an experiment, but be sure to identify the big three: independent , dependent , and control variables.

The independent variable is the one you manipulate or change to test its effect on the dependent variable. Controlled variables are other factors in your experiment you try to control or hold constant.

For example, let's say your hypothesis is: Duration of daylight has no effect on how long a cat sleeps. Your independent variable is duration of daylight (how many hours of daylight the cat sees). The dependent variable is how long the cat sleeps per day. Controlled variables might include amount of exercise and cat food supplied to the cat, how often it is disturbed, whether or not other cats are present, the approximate age of cats that are tested, etc.

Perform Enough Tests

Consider an experiment with the hypothesis: If you toss a coin, there is an equal chance of it coming up heads or tails. That is a nice, testable hypothesis, but you can't draw any sort of valid conclusion from a single coin toss. Neither are you likely to get enough data from 2-3 coin tosses, or even 10. It's important to have a large enough sample size that your experiment isn't overly influenced by randomness. Sometimes this means you need to perform a test multiple times on a single subject or small set of subjects. In other cases, you may want to gather data from a large, representative sample of population.

Gather the Right Data

There are two main types of data: qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data describes a quality, such as red/green, more/less, yes/no. Quantitative data is recorded as a number. If you can, gather quantitative data because it's much easier to analyze using mathematical tests.

Tabulate or Graph the Results

Once you have recorded your data, report it in a table and/or graph. This visual representation of the data makes it easier for you to see patterns or trends and makes your science fair project more appealing to other students, teachers, and judges.

Test the Hypothesis

Was the hypothesis accepted or rejected? Once you make this determination, ask yourself whether you met the objective of the experiment or whether further study is needed. Sometimes an experiment doesn't work out the way you expect. You may accept the experiment or decide to conduct a new experiment, based on what you learned.

Draw a Conclusion

Based on the experience you gained from the experiment and whether you accepted or rejected the hypothesis, you should be able to draw some conclusions about your subject. You should state these in your report.

• Six Steps of the Scientific Method
• What Is an Experiment? Definition and Design
• What Is a Testable Hypothesis?
• What Are the Elements of a Good Hypothesis?
• Scientific Method Flow Chart
• Scientific Method Vocabulary Terms
• How to Do a Science Fair Project
• How to Select a Science Fair Project Topic
• 5 Types of Science Fair Projects
• What Is a Hypothesis? (Science)
• Understanding Simple vs Controlled Experiments
• What Are Independent and Dependent Variables?
• 6th Grade Science Fair Projects
• Null Hypothesis Definition and Examples
• Science Projects for Every Subject

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science fair

Definition of science fair

Examples of science fair in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'science fair.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1930, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near science fair

science fiction

Cite this Entry

“Science fair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/science%20fair. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

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Make scientific data FAIR

• Shelley Stall 0 ,
• Lynn Yarmey 1 ,
• Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld 2 ,
• Brooks Hanson 3 ,
• Kerstin Lehnert 4 ,
• Brian Nosek 5 ,
• Mark Parsons 6 ,
• Erin Robinson 7 &
• Lesley Wyborn

Shelley Stall is senior director of data leadership at the American Geophysical Union, Washington DC, USA.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Lynn Yarmey is director of the Research Data Alliance/US Community Development at the Research Data Alliance, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA.

Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld is a professor at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA.

Brooks Hanson is executive vice-president for science at the American Geophysical Union, Washington DC, USA.

Kerstin Lehnert is Doherty senior research scientist at the Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, New York, USA.

Brian Nosek is executive director of the Center for Open Science, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, and a professor in the Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA.

Mark Parsons is a senior research scientist at the Tetherless World Constellation, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA.

Erin Robinson is executive director of Earth Science Information Partners, Boulder, Colorado, USA.

Oceanographer David Holland repairs a broken navigation module in Greenland. Credit: Lucas Jackson/Reuters

You have full access to this article via your institution.

Scientific data are burgeoning — thousands of petabytes were collected in 2018 alone. But these data are not being used widely enough to realize their potential. Most researchers come up against obstacles when they try to get their hands on data sets. Only one-fifth of published papers typically post the supporting data in scientific repositories — as has been shown by PLoS ONE 1 . Too much valuable, hard-won information is gathering dust on computers, disks and tapes.

Scientists don’t share data for many reasons. Those who create data rarely receive credit , and when they do, recognition is often limited to citations. Scant support is available for curating data. These issues span all disciplines, but conversations are disconnected.

That’s why more than 100 repositories, communities, societies, institutions, infrastructures, individuals and publishers (including the Springer Nature journals Nature and Scientific Data ) have signed up since last November to the Enabling FAIR Data Project’s Commitment Statement in the Earth, Space, and Environmental Sciences for depositing and sharing data (see go.nature.com/2wv2jxd ). The principles state that research data should be ‘findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable’ (FAIR) 2 . The idea is not new, but aligning this broad community around common data guidelines is a radical step.

Credit data generators for data reuse

In practice, this means that the vast majority of Earth-science journals will no longer accept separate data supplements, which can be hard to exploit. Editors will insist that key data are made available in repositories that support the FAIR principles. These changes in policy and practice elevate data to valuable research contributions rather than files that are shoved in as an afterthought. They promise to open up avenues of scientific discovery and to improve replicability.

The benefits of open and FAIR data are enormous. Sectors of society worth trillions of dollars use geoscience data for operations, products and services 3 . For example, weather prediction draws on meteorological and other data from around the world. The Global Positioning System depends on real-time observations of solar activity, atmospheric dynamics and Earth’s gravity. Earthquake-hazard mitigation and verification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty use seismic data from instruments worldwide.

We now call on the entire scientific community to implement these practices, and we set out here how the geosciences community achieved them.

Building blocks

The FAIR principles are the culmination of more than 20 years of agreements and actions involving publishers, data repositories, funders of scientific research, researchers and others. The principles recommend that scientific data are: ‘findable’ by anyone using common search tools; ‘accessible’ so that the data and metadata can be examined; ‘interoperable’ so that comparable data can be analysed and integrated through the use of common vocabulary and formats; and ‘reusable’ by other researchers or the public as a result of robust metadata, provenance information and clear usage licences.

For example, data sets in the EarthChem Library at the Interdisciplinary Earth Data Alliance are easily found through Google Dataset Search. Data are straightforward to download from a landing page. Data-set formats are aligned with other geochemical, petrological and geochronological data. And they have a long useful life because of their rich metadata on provenance.

A member of the Hawaii National Guard measures sulfur dioxide levels at a lava flow near Pahoa. Credit: Terray Sylvester/Reuters

Data should be as open access as possible, but sometimes need to be restricted for legal or other reasons: exact locations of observations of endangered species, for example, are restricted, and an approval process must be followed to gain access. Any restriction on access should be spelt out in the data-availability statement of the related paper.

It took just 18 months for the community to adopt, adapt and align with the FAIR data practices. The effort began in 2017 and involved more than 300 stakeholders and six working groups. It was convened by the American Geophysical Union and was supported by the US philanthropic organization Arnold Ventures (previously the Laura and John Arnold Foundation).

This fast pace was possible because many building blocks of data sharing had already been developed. For example, data communities such as the Research Data Alliance and Earth Science Information Partners had vetted and made actionable the data-sharing practices necessary for repositories, researchers and journals. And an alliance of publishers, journals and repositories — the Coalition for Publishing Data in the Earth and Space Sciences — had promoted common policies and procedures for publishing and citing geoscience data.

By 2018, all these building blocks had been put together into a unified structure, which the community was keen to implement 4 , 5 . The outcomes are formalized as the Enabling FAIR Data Commitment Statement. This contains codes of practice directed at each stakeholder group (repositories, publishers, societies, communities, institutions, funding agencies and organizations, and researchers).

For example, publishers agree to adopt a shared set of author guidelines for storing and citing data. Journals are phasing out the listing of data in supplementary information and are guiding authors to deposit data in repositories that support the FAIR principles. Repositories provide persistent identifiers, curation expertise, landing pages and support for the citation of data in papers. They offer consistent and clear information that is simple to find and access, in formats that are easy to read by humans and machines, with connections to related publications.

Changing the culture

Three big changes are crucial to shift research culture across all disciplines:

Make depositing open and FAIR data a priority for all. Universities, funders, repositories, publishers and societies worldwide need to cooperate to harmonize data-sharing approaches and tools. All journals should demand that data sources are cited and made accessible as an essential part of the integrity of published research. Funders should support leading practices in data management, including long-term archiving of data, especially from publicly supported research. Repositories should track scholarly output to link assertions and evidence.

Stronger mandates and guidance are needed to align these actions. Initial efforts are under way. The report 6 of the European Commission’s Expert Group on FAIR data has set out the steps needed. The Australian Research Data Commons group has produced online training guides and self-help web pages to assist researchers with citing data, samples and software properly (see go.nature.com/2wtuwe8 ). US research agencies have issued guidelines on how to increase access to scientific data to address the requirements of a 2013 memo by the Office of Science and Technology Policy 7 . Although these initial efforts are encouraging, ongoing recognition and coordination at an international level are needed to align the stakeholders and ensure a common expectation and priority.

A researcher accesses sediment cores collected during an ocean-drilling programme. Credit: Marc Steinmetz/VISUM/eyevine

Recognize and incentivize FAIR data practices. These should be codified in institutions’ reward and tenure processes. The current measurement of a publication’s value is heavily skewed towards journal citations and poorly reflects the overall value of the research conducted by the authors. Yet the data often have much greater scientific impact than the article to which they pertain 8 .

Researchers should receive credit and recognition for the intellectual effort involved in providing well-documented, useful and preserved data — that is, for practising good science 9 . Societies and academies should include open sharing and FAIR treatment of data explicitly in criteria for honours and awards for exemplary scholars.

Fund global infrastructure to support FAIR data and tools. The total cost of providing data that meet all the criteria is unknown. Initial estimates are steep, but still small compared with the potential benefits. It will depend on the amount of scientific data involved, and the effort required to comply with FAIR guidelines. The full costs of international FAIR data infrastructures have also yet to be determined. Those parts that can be accounted for do not have stable support. For example, most repositories struggle with the problem of their sustainability.

Researchers should not be expected to bear the entire cost of moving to FAIR data. International coordination of funding is needed. Technical solutions must endure through political and technological transitions, and they must go beyond national boundaries to ensure equal access for researchers from low- and middle-income countries. Research teams need access to data experts.

Changing cultures takes time and persistence, but the problem is urgent. Progress in the geosciences is encouraging. Some technical problems still need to be solved, but the greatest challenges are organizational and institutional. Other scientists should begin to address them now.

We invite researchers and organizations across all scientific fields to sign up to the Enabling FAIR Data Commitment Statement, assess the current situation in their disciplines, move things forward and report on progress.

Nature 570 , 27-29 (2019)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-01720-7

Updates & Corrections

Correction 05 June 2019 : An earlier version of this article wrongly stated that Springer Nature signed up to the Enabling FAIR Data Project’s Commitment Statement.

Federer, L. M. et al. PLoS ONE 13 , e0194768 (2018).

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Hanson, B. et al. Eos https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EO071991 (2017).

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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Open Science by Design: Realizing a Vision for 21st Century Research (National Academies Press, 2018).

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Competing Interests

L.Y. is paid as director of community development for the US region of the Research Data Alliance (RDA), an international not-for-profit community driven by 8,000+ members to build social and technical data sharing infrastructure with principles including balance, consensus, and openness. J.C.-G. is founding chief executive of WayMark Analytics, a double-bottom line organization that conducts stakeholder maps in complex systems. K.L. is the director of Interdisciplinary Earth Data Alliance, the US National Science Foundation data facility for solid Earth data. B.N. is paid as executive director of the Center for Open Science, a non-profit technology and culture-change organization that provides services to improve openness, integrity and reproducibility of research. E.R. is paid as executive director of the Earth Science Information Partners, a non-profit membership organization that provides services and builds communities across 120 member organizations to elevate the importance of data and data managers in the Earth science.

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