> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://fairsharing.gitbook.io/fairsharing/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://fairsharing.gitbook.io/fairsharing/fair-assistance/fair-enabling-databases/fair-r1.1-for-database-evaluation.md).

# FAIR R1.1 for database evaluation

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## FAIR Principle R1.1: (Meta)data are released with a clear and accessible data usage license

<https://doi.org/10.25504/FAIRsharing.aff99f>

FAIR Principle R1.1 requires that (meta)data are released with a clear and accessible data usage licence. Within the ARK-based benchmarks, this principle focuses on the transparency of licensing information associated with databases and the content they represent.

Clear licensing information is an important FAIR-enabling characteristic because it enables users, database managers, funders, and assessment services to understand the conditions under which content may be accessed, reused, redistributed, or otherwise utilised. Without explicit licence information, uncertainty regarding permitted use can significantly reduce the practical reusability of content.

The metrics associated with R1.1 evaluate whether databases provide clear licence information describing reuse conditions for at least some of the records represented within the database.

**Database FAIR-enabling characteristics**

<table><thead><tr><th width="102.2265625">Context</th><th>Database FAIR-enabling characteristic</th><th>FAIRsharing operationalisation</th><th>Metric</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>🏛</td><td>Database declares at least one licence governing reuse of content represented within the database</td><td>At least one linked <a href="/pages/-MkbVOPQcECtcYZ7yBZX">licence</a> associated with the database.</td><td><a href="https://fairsharing.org/8801">FAIR Metric - R1.1 - Metadata - Resource declares a usage licence</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

**Future Work**

This section describes how the current ARK-based benchmarks evaluate whether databases declare at least one licence governing reuse of content represented within the database. Future iterations of the benchmarks may explore stricter interpretations of licensing transparency, including evaluation of whether declared licences are linked to recognised licence registries such as SPDX.

Where present, SPDX cross-references provide additional machine-actionable information about licence terms and may therefore constitute supporting governance evidence for R1.1. However, the presence of SPDX-linked licences is not currently required by the ARK-based benchmarks and does not affect compliance with the current R1.1 metrics.