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FAIR² Access Agreement Levels

The FAIR² Access Agreement Levels define a structured, interoperable framework for governing dataset availability, reuse conditions, Responsible AI constraints, and sovereignty protections.

This index provides an entry point to the full FAIR² access governance documentation for levels 0 through 6, including:

  • Definitions
  • Constraint models
  • Case scenario matrices
  • Full JSON-LD metadata examples
  • Navigation between levels

Each level builds on earlier ones, adding stronger governance, identity, environment, or ethical constraints.

Access Levels Overview

Level Name Summary
Level 0 Embargoed Access Metadata open; dataset inaccessible until release date; discoverable and citable.
Level 1 Open Access Fully open; optional ethical constraints; may restrict AI training or exports.
Level 2 Collaborative Access Open, but with expectations of attribution, reciprocity, or consultation.
Level 3 Trusted Access Verified identity; Responsible Use Agreement; use logging; controlled sharing.
Level 4 Community-Governed (CARE) Governed by communities; CARE-informed decision rights; consultation/approval required.
Level 5 Secure / Controlled Environment Sensitive data; secure environments; no raw downloads; strict audit logging.
Level 6 Federated Compute-to-Data Algorithms visit data; no raw access; only aggregates/derived outputs permitted.

FAIR² Access Agreement Levels diagram

Documentation Index

Each level has a dedicated page:

Access Level 0 — Embargoed Access

👉 Level 0
Metadata open, dataset under embargo; early discoverability and citation.

Access Level 1 — Open Access

👉 Level 1
Dataset is openly available; may include specific reuse constraints (AI training, export limitations, consultation).

Access Level 2 — Collaborative Access

👉 Level 2
Open reuse with expectations of reciprocity, collaboration, and communication of results.

Access Level 3 — Trusted Access

👉 Level 3
Identity verification (ORCID or institutional), RUA acceptance, access logging.

Access Level 4 — Community-Governed (CARE)

👉 Level 4
Governed under CARE Principles; cultural/ethical protocols; community consultation or approval.

Access Level 5 — Secure / Controlled Environment

👉 Level 5
Sensitive human-derived or regulated data; accessible only in secure infrastructure.

Access Level 6 — Federated Compute-to-Data

👉 Level 6
No raw access; analytics via federated compute; strict export limitations.

FAIR² Constraint Model

All access levels may be refined using a structured set of FAIR² constraints:

  • identity: none / ORCID / institutional / both
  • environment: open / secureHuman / computeToData / hybrid
  • communityGovernance: none / consultationRecommended / consultationRequired / communityApprovalRequired
  • aiTraining: allowed / restrictedWithConditions / prohibited
  • exportRestriction: none / aggregated-only / anonymized-only / derived-parameters-only

These constraints are documented in detail at each level.

Navigation Between Levels

Each level page links to:

  • previous level
  • next level

This ensures smooth traversal across the entire governance hierarchy.

Feedback & Contributions

To propose changes or contribute improvements:

  • Open a GitHub issue
  • Submit a pull request
  • Contact the FAIR² specification team

FAIR² documentation follows the same principles as FAIR data: transparent, modular, and machine-readable.

End of Master Index — FAIR² Access Agreement Levels