2026/01/01 by Yiu-Kang Hsu, Rorie Edmunds · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Computer Science · #Libraries and Information Services #Library Science and Information Systems #Research Data Management Practices
paper · pdf · doi:10.11141/ia.72.4
openalex publication_date 2026/01/01 · openalex created_date 2026/03/18 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
This paper explores how persistent identifiers (PIDs) and standardised metadata profiles can foster the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) management of archaeological samples and their associated analytical data. We begin by outlining the role of PIDs in ensuring the long-term findability of research outputs, with particular attention to the international generic sample number (IGSN ID) - a PID system specifically designed for material samples and well-suited to archaeological context. We then present the collective work of the IGSN-DataCite Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Community of Practice, which is developing an archaeology-specific metadata profile and a crosswalk recommendation to support the integration of IGSN IDs into existing research workflows. Finally, we illustrate these concepts through a case study at the Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum (DBM), Germany, where PIDs and relevant metadata schemas have been embedded into the laboratory research infrastructure, including electronic laboratory notebooks, service catalogues and data repositories. Collectively, these efforts demonstrate how PID adoption not only strengthens the FAIRness and long-term sustainability of archaeological data but also more firmly positions archaeological research within the global Open Science landscape.