The digital research data infrastructure landscape comprises a myriad of tools for managing and sharing research data during various stages of the research data lifecycle (RDL). Such research tools vary widely depending on data type, user requirement, provider, and subject area. In the context of the Mapping the Landscape of Digital Research Tools Working Group (WG), research tools enable researchers to perform one or more operations, typically on data, and often with data as the output. Tools are usually intended for use by humans. In this context we are explicitly excluding physical instruments.

The diversity and variety of research tools can prove overwhelming and challenging for stakeholders working within the digital research data ecosystem to understand, navigate, and select the most appropriate tool to meet their needs and objectives. The categorisation of research tools, based on their features, functionalities and how they interoperate, remains unclear. In many cases, research tools are not interoperable, often leading to siloed working within organisations and disciplines, thereby limiting the scope of research and the ability to share and reuse data.

This WG aimed to address these challenges by: (i) categorising different types of research tools; and, (ii) mapping different types of research tools to the RDL based on their features and functionalities. The WG produced a categorisation schema of research tool types that includes terminologies, definitions and associated metadata describing features and functionalities of different tool types. In order to ensure the categorisation schema of tool types is accessible, engaging, and interactive, the WG has produced a visual online map of the digital research tool landscape which serves as a dynamic prototype to be further developed in the future.

The map of the landscape of digital research tools landscape created by the WG, which has been given the name ‘the MaLDReTH model, is intended to serve as a reference and guide for people and organizations that are designing, adopting and implementing research tools and infrastructure.  This include developers of tools and infrastructure, organizations which are procuring tools and infrastructure, and research data managers and administrators.  It also includes funders of research infrastructure.  In addition to serving as a reference and guide for components of research infrastructure, the MaLDReTH model should encourage good practice in terms of integrated approaches to deployment of tools and infrastructure, interoperability between tools, and stimulation of streamlined flows of data and metadata between tools.  In all these respects, it has the potential to have a profound and far reaching impact on the development of research infrastructure and, through that, research productivity and researcher experiences.

Vials Moore, A., Macneil, R., Clare, C., Garcia, M., Pitts, R., & RDA OfR Mapping the Landscape of Digital Research Tools WG. (2024). Mapping the Landscape of Digital Research Tools. Research Data Alliance. https://doi.org/10.15497/RDA00125