National PID Strategies WG

The existing RDA WGs and IGs linked to PIDs tend to focus on technical challenges, updates from specific PID providers on their activities and the state of the art, or on discipline-specific needs or challenges. The National PID Strategies WG is exploring how PIDs form part of national policy implementation frameworks. There are systemic and network benefits from widespread and consistent PID adoption, and funders, government agencies, and national research communities have created PID consortia or policies (including mandates) in pursuit of these benefits.

At the RDA Plenary 17 a Birds of a Feather session examined six case studies of national PID strategies and frameworks, looked at commonalities and divergences between them, and assessed the potential benefit of collaboration and alignment in the development and implementation of future national initiatives. 

The consensus from this BoF was that a National PID Strategies WG should be formed with the objective of mapping common activities across national agencies/efforts and reporting on the specific PIDs adopted in the context of national PID strategies.

An update to these case studies, including a discussion on the WG case statement and objectives of the WG, was provided at the meeting of the WG at RDA Virtual Plenary 18 - Aligning and coordinating national PID strategies. Although this was the first meeting of the group, at this stage the WG was not officially endorsed. The WG was officially fully endorsed by the RDA on 10 December 2021 and runs until 10 June 2023.

Commonalities already exist across the example case studies, such as a national PID policy, a coordinating network/group developing a roadmap and policies, similar PIDs being prioritised in national infrastructures and ORCID/DataCite consortia being common. These have formed the basis for discussion within the WG and input from other countries is being sought.

The WG enables coordination and community discussion to deliver the following:

• Coordinate and align different national PID strategies and bring together PID experts to support the group

• Map common activities across national agencies/efforts and a guide on the specific PIDs adopted in the context of national PID strategies

• Agree PID categories and define common metadata and standards for PIDs

• A minimal set of PIDs for international interoperability

• Example ideas on governance and common workflows

• Highlight the benefits from having a national PID strategy and adopting priority PIDs and the investment requirements.

Having a WG looking at national PID strategies provides an opportunity to promote international PID systems rather than isolated national systems, avoid replication of PID development, and exchange experience of national-level PID coordination and map needs.

The case statement contains details of the WG's plan and deliverables. This includes the following milestones:

• 0 - 6 months - map common activities across national agencies/efforts and deliver a guide on the specific PIDs adopted in the context of national PID strategies. This will help others, irrespective of geographical region, follow a blueprint to defining their national PID approach. The guide will include a number of national case studies.
• 0-12 months - seek community input to agree on PID categories and define common metadata and standards for PIDs, define a minimal set of PIDs for international interoperability, and provide example ideas on governance and common workflows.
• 12-18 months - complete community consultation and finalise agreement on report, national case studies, PID categories, common metadata and standards for PIDs, and minimal set of PIDs.

The WG is co-chaired by Christopher Brown (Jisc), Natasha Simons (ARDC), Daniel Bangert (Digital Repository of Ireland, Royal Irish Academy), and Shawna Sadler (ORCID). WG meetings are held at each plenary and every two months.