Persistent Identifiers (PIDs) were recognized as essential tools for improving the discoverability, accessibility, and reusability of research resources at a recent workshop. The event highlighted how PIDs enable precise identification, reliable tracking, and long-term availability of metadata, serving as a cornerstone for integrating research outputs into the scholarly ecosystem. While the use of PIDs for resources like text publications, research data, and researchers is widely recognized, the workshop focused on the underutilized application of PIDs to academic events such as conferences or workshops – despite these events being vital drivers of scholarly communication and collaboration.
The workshop, part of the event series organized by the PID Network Deutschland project, explored the role of PIDs in improving the organization, visibility, integration and quality control of academic events within scientific information infrastructure systems. Diverse information needs of stakeholders – including researchers, conference organizers, publishers, librarians, funders, and research organizations – were addressed throughout the day.
The workshop clarified why PIDs are crucial for academic events and how the lifecycle of these events can be effectively described using robust metadata. Tools and platforms that can leverage event PIDs were showcased, and discussions centered on how researchers and organizations can benefit from their adoption – not only for discovery and citation purposes but also for research assessment. Participants learned how PIDs facilitate the connection of diverse outputs from academic events – such as proceedings, videos, slides, and posters – and play a pivotal role in cataloguing and linking event-related information.
The event fostered a deeper understanding of the different perspectives and needs of stakeholders in the description and archiving of academic events. Participants gained insights into existing practices, tools and platforms, as well as the future development of metadata standards.
You can find the program and slides here.
