5.3 Metadata II: identifiers

5.3.1 Suggested training topics

1. Introduction to identifiers: IDs, PIDs and metadata standards

2. Identifier systems

   1. Resource identifiers (ISSN/eISSN, DOI, Handle, ARK)

   2. Organisation identifiers (Funder ID, ROR ID)

   3. Contributor identifiers (ORCID, VIAF)

5.3.2 Notes on the training topics

This curriculum singles out identifiers as a separate block within the general metadata realm covered in the previous chapter (§5.2). The importance of IDs for the findability of the resorces was highlighted in CRAFT-OA D3.2 (Laakso et al. 2024). The GoTriple Handbook draws the following distinction between IDs and PIDs:

Identifiers are non semantic strings of characters uniquely identifying a resource. They should belong to a well-known identification system (e.g. ISBN, DOI, handle.net, etc.). In the digital context, the more important identifier is the Persistent Identifier (PID), which ensures the identification of the resource throughout the various digital locations. Persistent Priority Description Hints and comments identifiers include among others: DOI from Datacite or Crossref, handles from handle..

The training block on identifiers is split into two parts:

• The “Introduction to identifiers” draws a distinction between IDs and their digital pendants PIDs and aims at providing an overview of the most common identification systems (ISSN, DOI, ORCID, ROR, Funder DOIs / PIDs, etc.). In addition, it contains explanations on how identifiers are expressed in established metadata standards on journal and the article level:

  • Dublin Core (simple and qualified)

  • MARC family (MARC21 and MARC XML)

  • MODS XML

  • ONIX XML

  • JATS XML and TEI XMl header

  • KBART files

  • OpenAire guidelines

  • Europeana Data model

• The section on “Identifier systems” is intended to focus on the particular identifier types. They are thematically split into three groups: resource, organisation and contributor identifiers. The section covers, for instance, the administrative procedures for obtaining an ISSN; the process of adding DOIs for new articles (involving an initial setup and configuration of software plugins, minting new DOIs and data transfer to the registration institution); the recommendations on obtaining ORCID IDs for researchers, ROR IDs for the research performing organisations and funder DOIs/PIDs for the research supporting organisations. The training topics can also include the Archival Resource Key (ARK) and the Handle System.

5.3.3 Modules build-up: metadata ii - identifiers

Topic	Level	Audience	F-A-I-R
Introduction to identifiers: IDs, PIDs and metadata standards	Foundational	● Editors ● Reviewers ● Researchers	F
Identifier systems	Foundational / Advanced	● Editors ● Reviewers ● Researchers ● Software developers ● Technical professionals	F

Table 8: Modules for for the training block “Metadata II: identifiers”

5.3.4 Training materials

1. Existing training materials.

Title	Creator	Comment
OA Journals Toolkit: Persistent Identifiers (https://www.oajournals-toolkit.org/infrastructure/persistent-identifiers)	DOAJ, OASPA	The article from the OA Journals Toolkit briefly outlines different types of persistent identifiers and their usefulness.
Semi-automatic DOI registration at Crossref for historic issues of SSH journals (https://github.com/CHC-Computations/CRAFT-OA-training-materials/tree/main/DOI_Crossref_registration)	The Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IBL PAN) as part of CRAFT-OA	The Jupyter notebook includes a script to create XML files with metadata and to upload them to the Crossref deposit page for the registration of DOI numbers. This repository forms the base for training delivered by members of IBL PAN as part of the CRAFT-OA project.
Publishers Learning And Community Exchange (PLACE) (https://theplace.discourse.group/)	Crossref, DOAJ, COPE, OASPA	The forum is not dedicated especially to technical issues but there is a subpage on metadata, with the topics DOIs, metadata and crossref. Other topics can be added by the users for exchange and support.

Table 9: Existing materials for the training block “Metadata II: identifiers”

1. Training materials planned to be produced by CRAFT-OA

Title	Created in context of	Institution
Introducing PIDs and their use	WP3 (T3.3)	TIB
Materials focusing on identifiers and metadata (DOI, ORCID, ROR)	WP3 (T3.3)	TSV
DOI Crossref registration	WP3 (T3.3)	IBL PAN

Table 10: Potential materials for the training block “Metadata II: identifiers”