Workshop
Towards Persistent Identification of Research Instruments
- Date
- Tuesday 9 June 2026
- Time
- Address
-
University Library
Witte Singel 27
2311 BG Leiden - Room
- Willeram (Learning Zone, ground floor)
Persistent identifiers (PIDs) of research instruments would have many advantages for researchers, research support and research organisations. Having a way to “publish” your instrumentation allows one to cite directly to the instrument used in the datasets and publications. These kinds of links can help to give additional context and meaning to the research data produced, and gives a way also follow the use of the instruments in publications.
Similarly, having a consistent global identity to the instruments makes it also possible for research support staff, particularly laboratory managers, to manage their inventory more transparently, present the available instruments to the world, and make sure that maintenance is properly targeted. It also creates a way to quantify the use of the instruments - potentially gaining more quantitative recognition for their work and achievements. Unique identification of instrumentation has naturally also many security, asset management and financial benefits for a research organisation.
This need is not new, and Research Data Alliance has supported creation of PIDINST metadata model for instrument PIDs, and recently the Dutch Thematic Digital Competence Centre for Sciences and Engineering (TDCC NES) supported FAIR4instruments working group on the subject. However, implementation of such activities in the real-life work in Dutch universities is not yet evident.
In this workshop, we present some of the current approaches for Instrument Identification, what it would bring to and require from the Leiden University and/or its faculties and facilities. This is followed by discussion, identifying use cases, challenges and viewpoints related to this activity.
Target audience
Laboratory managers and engineers, researchers working with research instruments
Format
- Introductions
- Presentation: Current schemas for instrument identification
- Discussion: Benefits and use cases of instrument identification
- Teamwork practice: Creating instrument metadata and landing pages
- Conclusions and next steps
Organisation
This workshop is organised by the Centre for Digital Scholarship as part of our Summer Training Week 2026. Check out the full programme here, and register for one or more workshops through this form.