In 2024, the PID Network Deutschland project conducted a survey on the use of persistent identifiers (PIDs) in Germany and subsequently used its results to build a national strategic plan. The survey findings crystallized into five specific recommendations aimed at leading to the sustainable adoption of PIDs across the German infrastructure:
Recommendation 1: Systematically expand entity coverage and establish clear guidelines
Target state: Beyond traditional text publications, PIDs are systematically assigned to all relevant components of the research process. Linking all entities creates a digital knowledge graph of the German research and cultural landscape.
Recommendation 2: Ensure metadata quality and adherence to standards
Target state: PID metadata is standardized, complete, machine-readable, and interdisciplinary interoperable. It forms a reliable foundation for automated discovery, reuse, and cross-system reporting of research outputs.
Recommendation 3: Build a robust technical infrastructure and optimize workflow automation
Target state: Research and cultural heritage institutions, as well as funding organizations, operate within an interoperable environment in which local systems communicate with central PID services. PID linking is largely automated via standardized interfaces, thereby minimizing manual maintenance effort and enabling real-time data synchronization.
Recommendation 4: Strengthen governance and harmonize guidelines
Target state: Germany possesses a robust strategic framework spanning political, funding, and institutional levels. By harmonizing guidelines and allocating dedicated resources, a sustainable, permanently funded, and internationally aligned PID governance framework is established.
Recommendation 5: Promote competency development and expand support structures
Target state: Both researchers and infrastructure staff have a sound understanding of the added value of PIDs and the importance of metadata management. Through established advisory and support services, the necessary expertise is broadly embedded and accessible across the research and GLAM sectors.
An addendum titled On the Origins of the German PID Infrastructure has also been created alongside the plan, offering insight (in German) into the German PID landscape and its development. If you would like to learn more about the German national PID plan, you can attend a webinar (in German) on September 16, 2026.