This BoF aims to explore the critical role of project identifiers and associated project metadata within the research information ecosystem and gauge interest in establishing a dedicated RDA Interest Group. Research projects serve as hubs that link researchers, organizations, outputs, and funding – yet standardised approaches to identifying and documenting projects remain underdeveloped globally, creating a significant gap in the research information landscape. However, project identification is relatively new with the RAiD ISO standard being released in 2022 and an internationally agreed metadata standard for describing projects is not yet developed. Even the term “project” is open to interpretation.
The session will address fundamental questions around project identifier implementation: governance models for project metadata, integration with existing persistent identifier (PID) infrastructures, metadata schema requirements, challenges with legacy project data, and pathways to broad adoption across diverse research communities. We will examine how project identifiers complement existing PID initiatives (like ORCID, ROR, and DOI) to create more comprehensive and interconnected research knowledge graphs.
Currently, project information is fragmented across institutional systems, funder databases, and repositories, with inconsistent metadata practices hindering discoverability and research impact tracking. This fragmentation creates challenges for reporting, attribution, and understanding the connections between research activities. Different approaches to identifying projects and “bundling PIDs” have emerged, but no consensus on best practices has been reached.
A Project Identifier IG could support the work of related RDA IGs, including the Persistent Identifier IG, National PID Strategies IG, Metadata IG, Open Science Graphs for FAIR Data IG, and National Data Services IG while ensuring we address gaps not covered by these existing initiatives. We’ll also connect with the Research Metadata Schemas WG, Working with PIDs in Tools IG, the Persistent Identification of Instruments WG, and the Data Discovery Paradigms IG, as their work intersects with project identification.
The BoF will bring together stakeholders from [research organisations and infrastructure providers] to discuss these challenges and explore potential solutions. The session will be structured to maximize discussion time, with brief scene-setting presentations (30 minutes) followed by facilitated conversations (60 minutes) about project identification and information, including the desirability of formal RDA work in this space. Our primary outcome will be determining whether to form an Interest Group focused on project identifiers and, if so, developing initial parameters and identifying potential co-chairs representing diverse geographical regions and stakeholder perspectives.
