# Ten Simple Rules for making a vocabulary FAIR

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.02325 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2012.02325/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 3 Dec 2020.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [FAIR principles for AI models with a practical application for accelerated high energy diffraction microscopy](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2207.00611/) (2022)

## Abstract (arXiv)

We present ten simple rules that support converting a legacy vocabulary -- a list of terms available in a print-based glossary or table not accessible using web standards -- into a FAIR vocabulary. Various pathways may be followed to publish the FAIR vocabulary, but we emphasise particularly the goal of providing a distinct IRI for each term or concept. A standard representation of the concept should be returned when the individual IRI is de-referenced, using SKOS or OWL serialised in an RDF-based representation for machine-interchange, or in a web-page for human consumption. Guidelines for vocabulary and item metadata are provided, as well as development and maintenance considerations. By following these rules you can achieve the outcome of converting a legacy vocabulary into a standalone FAIR vocabulary, which can be used for unambiguous data annotation. In turn, this increases data interoperability and enables data integration.