As DataCite continually works to support our growing community, updating the DataCite Metadata Schema to better represent community use cases supports our goals of driving metadata quality and completeness. Today, we’re excited to share the release of DataCite Metadata Schema 4.6, which expands the resourceTypeGeneral, relatedIdentifierType, relationType, contributorType, and dateType controlled lists in response to community feedback.
The DataCite Metadata Working Group has a new Request for Comments (RFC) with several proposed changes to the DataCite Metadata Schema, and we want to hear your feedback. We are looking for input on the following proposed changes: Adding a new resourceTypeGeneral: Award Adding a new relationType: Other Adding a new sub-property to RelatedIdentifier: relationTypeInformation You can leave comments and suggestions directly on the RFC Google Doc.
One of the key factors in making research outputs discoverable is assigning unique, persistent identifiers (PIDs) along with rich metadata. DataCite provides services to register Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), which provide a persistent way of identifying and accessing a particular resource.
The DataCite Metadata Working Group has been working on the next batch of Metadata Schema changes—and we need your feedback! Today, we are sharing a new Request for Comments (RFC) with several proposed changes to the DataCite Metadata Schema. Since Schema 4.5 was finalized, we have been working on numerous ideas put forward by the DataCite community—some of which are reflected in this RFC.
Standards & More Standards Metadata standards are fundamental to the semantic web and database management; they form the basis for data discovery, sharing, and organization across a range of domains.
At DataCite, we make metadata for over 50 million DOIs openly available to enable the discovery of research outputs and related resources. This metadata is created by DataCite’s Members and Consortium Organizations according to the DataCite Metadata Schema. When registering a DataCite DOI, repositories submit metadata to improve discoverability and reusability. Today, we are releasing version 4.5 of the DataCite Metadata Schema.
As of January 1, 2025, DataCite Members and Consortium Organizations will be required to use Schema 4 to register DOIs and update DOI metadata. Widespread adoption of Schema 4 is critical to improve DOI metadata quality. This is because Schema 4—i.e., versions 4.0 through 4.4 and subsequent minor versions—improves on Schema 3 with additions that promote metadata quality and consistency.
At DataCite, we enable DOI registration for a wide variety of research outputs: from samples and images to data and preprints. In this post, we’ll spotlight the resource types that our community is using DataCite DOIs for. The DataCite Metadata Schema has always supported a range of resource types.
We are pleased to announce that all DataCite APIs now have full support for metadata schema version 4.4. As of today, all DataCite APIs include full support for the RelatedItem property and the relationType IsPublishedIn . What’s new When we release a new schema version, our first step is to update the XSD file that defines the schema.
As a community-driven organization, we believe it is critical that our members shape the DataCite metadata schema. The Metadata Working Group consists of 10-16 community representatives, who work on improving the metadata schema based on what we learn from the DataCite community. For the upcoming metadata schema 4.5, we launched our first community feedback process this fall to gather your input on the draft metadata schema.
