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FAIR² Access Governance Documentation

Level 4 – Community-Governed Access (CARE)

This document provides the case scenario matrix for Level-4 access, together with metadata examples for each variant.
It follows the FAIR² interpretation:

Level 4 – Community-Governed Access (CARE)
Applies to datasets governed by recognized communities or collectives.
Reuse must respect CARE Principles — Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, and Ethics.
Consultation or approval from the community is required for substantial reuse.
Redistribution outside sovereign hosting is restricted unless explicitly permitted.

1. Overview of Level 4 (CARE / Community-Governed Access)

Level 4 datasets introduce community-based governance controls.
They may be technically accessible but social, cultural, or governance requirements must be fulfilled before reuse.

FAIR² models Level 4 using these constraint axes:

  • identity: none / ORCID / institutionalLogin
  • environment: open / secureHuman / computeToData / hybrid
  • communityGovernance: consultationRecommended / consultationRequired / communityApprovalRequired
  • aiTraining: allowed / restricted / prohibited
  • exportRestriction: aggregated-only / anonymized-only / derived-parameters-only
  • distribution-level constraints: for mixed datasets

2. Level 4 Case Scenario Matrix

Variant Description identity environment governance aiTraining exportRestriction distribution-level constraints
4.1 CARE dataset, open access but consultation required none open consultationRequired allowed none none
4.2 CARE dataset, ORCID required for accountability ORCID open consultationRequired allowed none none
4.3 CARE dataset, secure workspace required ORCID secureHuman consultationRequired restrictedWithConditions aggregated-only none
4.4 CARE dataset, federated compute (no raw access) ORCID computeToData communityApprovalRequired prohibited aggregated-only none
4.5 CARE dataset with multiple file-access levels ORCID hybrid consultationRequired restrictedWithConditions none present
4.6 CARE dataset, high ethics: AI training prohibited ORCID secureHuman communityApprovalRequired prohibited anonymized-only none

3. Metadata Examples for Each Level-4 Variant

All examples use the FAIR² JSON-LD namespace:

fair2: https://fair2.ai/ns/

Variant 4.1 — CARE Dataset, Open Access but Consultation Required

{
  "@context": {
    "schema": "https://schema.org/",
    "dct": "http://purl.org/dc/terms/",
    "fair2": "https://fair2.ai/ns/"
  },
  "@type": "schema:Dataset",
  "schema:name": "Indigenous Ecological Knowledge Summaries",
  "dct:license": "https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/by/1-0/",
  "dct:accessRights": "fair2:AgreementLevel4",
  "fair2:constraints": {
    "identity": "none",
    "environment": "open",
    "communityGovernance": "consultationRequired",
    "aiTraining": "allowed",
    "exportRestriction": "none"
  },
  "fair2:governanceProtocol": "https://community.example.org/knowledge-governance"
}

Variant 4.2 — CARE Dataset with ORCID for Accountability

{
  "@context": {
    "schema": "https://schema.org/",
    "dct": "http://purl.org/dc/terms/",
    "fair2": "https://fair2.ai/ns/"
  },
  "@type": "schema:Dataset",
  "schema:name": "Cultural Landscape Oral Histories",
  "dct:license": "https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/by/1-0/",
  "dct:accessRights": "fair2:AgreementLevel4",
  "fair2:constraints": {
    "identity": "ORCID",
    "environment": "open",
    "communityGovernance": "consultationRequired",
    "aiTraining": "allowed",
    "exportRestriction": "none"
  },
  "fair2:governanceProtocol": "https://community.example.org/heritage-governance"
}

Variant 4.3 — CARE Dataset with Secure Workspace + Aggregated Output

{
  "@context": {
    "schema": "https://schema.org/",
    "dct": "http://purl.org/dc/terms/",
    "fair2": "https://fair2.ai/ns/"
  },
  "@type": "schema:Dataset",
  "schema:name": "Community Health Indicators (Restricted)",
  "dct:license": "https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/by/1-0/",
  "dct:accessRights": "fair2:AgreementLevel4",
  "fair2:constraints": {
    "identity": "ORCID",
    "environment": "secureHuman",
    "communityGovernance": "consultationRequired",
    "aiTraining": "restrictedWithConditions",
    "exportRestriction": "aggregated-only"
  },
  "fair2:governanceProtocol": "https://community.example.org/health-governance"
}

Variant 4.4 — CARE Dataset, Federated Compute-Only, No AI Training

{
  "@context": {
    "schema": "https://schema.org/",
    "dct": "http://purl.org/dc/terms/",
    "fair2": "https://fair2.ai/ns/"
  },
  "@type": "schema:Dataset",
  "schema:name": "Traditional Land Use and Biodiversity Data (Federated Access)",
  "dct:license": "https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/by/1-0/",
  "dct:accessRights": "fair2:AgreementLevel4",
  "fair2:constraints": {
    "identity": "ORCID",
    "environment": "computeToData",
    "communityGovernance": "communityApprovalRequired",
    "aiTraining": "prohibited",
    "exportRestriction": "aggregated-only"
  },
  "fair2:governanceProtocol": "https://community.example.org/land-governance"
}

Variant 4.5 — CARE Dataset with Mixed File-Level Access Rules

{
  "@context": {
    "schema": "https://schema.org/",
    "dct": "http://purl.org/dc/terms/",
    "fair2": "https://fair2.ai/ns/"
  },
  "@type": "schema:Dataset",
  "schema:name": "Community Environmental Monitoring Records",

  "dct:license": "https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/by/1-0/",
  "dct:accessRights": "fair2:AgreementLevel4",

  "fair2:constraints": {
    "identity": "ORCID",
    "environment": "hybrid",
    "communityGovernance": "consultationRequired",
    "aiTraining": "restrictedWithConditions",
    "exportRestriction": "none"
  },

  "distribution": [
    {
      "@type": "schema:DataDownload",
      "schema:contentUrl": "https://example.org/files/summary_statistics.csv",
      "fair2:constraints": {
        "environment": "open"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "schema:DataDownload",
      "schema:contentUrl": "https://secure.example.org/files/water_samples_raw.csv",
      "fair2:constraints": {
        "identity": "ORCID",
        "environment": "secureHuman",
        "exportRestriction": "anonymized-only"
      }
    }
  ],

  "fair2:governanceProtocol": "https://community.example.org/env-governance"
}

Variant 4.6 — CARE Dataset with High Ethics: AI Training Prohibited + Secure Environment

{
  "@context": {
    "schema": "https://schema.org/",
    "dct": "http://purl.org/dc/terms/",
    "fair2": "https://fair2.ai/ns/"
  },
  "@type": "schema:Dataset",
  "schema:name": "Sacred Site Ecological Observations",
  "dct:license": "https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/by/1-0/",
  "dct:accessRights": "fair2:AgreementLevel4",
  "fair2:constraints": {
    "identity": "ORCID",
    "environment": "secureHuman",
    "communityGovernance": "communityApprovalRequired",
    "aiTraining": "prohibited",
    "exportRestriction": "anonymized-only"
  },
  "fair2:AIethicalUse": "Dataset may not be used for machine learning or models generating predictions; human-guided interpretive research only.",
  "fair2:governanceProtocol": "https://community.example.org/sacred-governance"
}

4. Summary Table

Variant Meaning Key FAIR² Constraint
4.1 Consultation required but technically open communityGovernance = consultationRequired
4.2 Consultation + identity accountability identity = ORCID
4.3 CARE + secure Human environment environment = secureHuman
4.4 CARE + federated compute environment = computeToData
4.5 Mixed public/restricted files distribution-level constraints
4.6 Highest governance & ethics protections aiTraining = prohibited, secure env

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End of Level 4 Documentation — FAIR² Access Governance