Australian National Persistent Identifier (PID) Strategy and Roadmap

The Challenge

Persistent Identifiers (PIDs) are critical as they provide global methods to uniquely identify and connect entities in the research system such as researchers, funders, organisations, articles, datasets, software and samples.

• By linking these entities and enabling research provenance and attribution, persistent identifiers lay the foundation for improved tracking of research impact. 
• By precisely identifying the inputs and outputs of research, PIDs contribute to research integrity. 
• By linking scientific concepts across systems, they enable research innovation and efficiency.

The 2022 report Incentives to Invest in Identifiers, commissioned by the ARDC and the AAF, showed the benefits of PIDs to research in Australia. It estimates potential savings of up to $24 million per annum along with 38,000 person days that could be freed up from re-keying information that PIDs provide.

The Approach

To realise the potential saving and drive strategic benefit, the ARDC is leading the process to collaboratively develop a National PID Strategy (released February 2024) and Roadmap (in development) to accelerate research and innovation through the use of PIDs.

A National PID Strategy Taskforce chaired by Professor Keith Nugent guided the Strategy development along with an open, broad and inclusive process that included a series of national workshops, webinars and working groups alongside an individual and group submission process.

Along with the Strategy, a Roadmap is being developed with coordination from the ARDC and key input from Linda O’Brien. To stay tuned and learn how you can engage with the Roadmap, subscribe to the ARDC Connect newsletter.

The approach to the National PID Strategy and Roadmap reflects and is informed by international developments in both research and innovation and the international PID environment. ARDC PID services are offered to the Australian research sector in partnership with international PID providers such as DataCite. Our staff play leadership roles in a wide range of PID initiatives internationally, including co-chairing the Research Data Alliance National PID Strategies Interest Group and co-organising PIDfest 2024 in collaboration with the Czech National Library of Technology. These activities provide a vital link between the Australian Strategy and the international environment.

For more information on ARDC’s approach to PIDs, see the ARDC’s PID policy or contact us.

Further Resources

• A public webinar on the Strategy was hosted on 26 September 2023. Watching the recording.
• An update on the project was presented to the Australian ORCID Steering Committee in May 2023. View the slides.
• A workshop was held to explore the vision for a National PID Strategy in February 2023. View the slides presented at the workshop.