As digitalisation in research and teaching progresses, the number of software solutions at scientific institutions is increasing significantly. The reliable provision and use of this software is essential in order to make research results comprehensible and enable their reuse. Recognising software as a scientific product is crucial in order to make its importance for research and innovation visible and to promote its sustainable use and citation. Persistent identifiers (PIDs) play a central role in this: they ensure unambiguous allocation and make it easier to find, access, interoperate and reuse software in line with the FAIR principles.
The ‘PID Network Germany’ project is organising the online seminar ‘PIDs for Software’ on 30 June 2025. We looked at various aspects relating to the documentation and use of software. In addition to an introduction to national and international initiatives for dealing with research software, we will also discuss practical challenges and possible solutions.
The HERMES publication system was developed for research software to facilitate the publication, documentation and visibility of scientific software. It offers researchers a platform to systematically present their software projects, add metadata and make them permanently accessible. The system also supports the integration of PIDs to clearly reference the software and improve its citation capability.
During the online seminar, we will learn more about Software Hash IDentifiers (SWHIDs), which represent a permanent and unchangeable reference over the entire life cycle of a software. They make it possible to reliably link software versions, source code and development processes and thus ensure the traceability and reproducibility of scientific work. We will also examine the perspectives of the data providers DataCite and DNB.
The event will highlight the importance of PIDs in the context of software and show how they can make the scientific work process more transparent, networked and efficient.
