FAIR Enough? Enhancing the Usage of Enterprise Data with Data Catalogs

With increasing relevance of data as a strategic asset, companies strive to make data FAIR, i.e. findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable. Data catalogs are considered an important means to realize these aspirations. However, data catalogs are still a novel and loosely defined concept, which lacks empirical studies on their implementation. Against this background, this study aims at fostering the understanding of data catalogs as a means of increasing data exposure and usage in enterprises. Based on a qualitative and explorative study involving 12 multi-national enterprises, we assess data catalog initiatives based on their scope, goals, and users. We propose a taxonomy of data catalog initiatives and present 3 detailed case studies that illustrate typical approaches to data catalogs. Our findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on the FAIR principles by elaborating on their significance in the enterprise context and analyzing their operationalization by means of data catalogs.