PID Service for data elements below the study level
Make content within datasets referenceable and findable.
Persistent identifiers (PIDs) have so far only been assigned at study or dataset level. However, researchers usually only use a subset of the variables in a dataset, which they then refer to through textual descriptions that are often semantically ambiguous. The aim is to develop a scalable and secure technical solution to reference elements below the dataset level, e.g. survey variables, within an already registered study with a DOI. This not only allows variables to be cited unambiguously, but also enables the sustainable identification of significant data objects and thus improves their reusability, also in machine-readable form, e.g. via new FAIR-compliant interfaces such as the Digital Object Interface Protocol. Another added value of the service is that links between variables, e.g. across different waves of a study, can also be stored in a standardized way and across institutions.
Date of provision: 09/25: Fully functional prototype of the PID service. Proof-of-concept: PID service successfully applied to several use cases and datatypes in collaboration with consortium partners.