As a key milestone of the PID Network Germany project, the results of a comprehensive quantitative survey on the prevalence, use, and requirements of Persistent Identifiers (PIDs) have now been published (DOI: 10.5334/dsj-2026-028).
Conducted in 2024, the survey targeted research institutions as well as operators of scientific and cultural infrastructures in Germany. With complete responses from 126 academic and non-academic institutions nationwide, it represents one of the most comprehensive empirical assessment of the German PID landscape to date. The interdisciplinary online study covered over 20 PID types and established entity categories to gain in-depth insights into the current state of affairs and specific opportunities for further development.
Key Findings of the Study
- Focus on established PIDs: Usage is heavily concentrated on widely used identifiers (such as DOI, ISBN, ORCID iD, GND, and URN), while newer or specialized PIDs are less widely known and implemented.
- Areas of application: PIDs are primarily implemented in publication and research data workflows, with a prospective expansion to entities such as research software and instruments.
- Challenges & framework conditions: High-quality, interoperable metadata is considered essential for linking research outputs and for improving visibility and discoverability. However, hurdles such as insufficient institutional training, a lack of staff, and information gaps hinder implementation.
- Empirical Basis for the PID Roadmap: For the first time, the study provides a comprehensive dataset for analyzing awareness levels, infrastructure integration, and strategic framework conditions—and served as the direct evidence base for the national PID roadmap developed in the project, which will be published shortly.
The study’s findings set out clear goals for strengthening the German PID ecosystem, including tailoring training programs to meet actual needs and systematically embedding PIDs in institutional guidelines and strategies.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all participants who contributed to the success of this extensive survey!
The full open-access article can be found here: https://doi.org/10.5334/dsj-2026-028
About the Project
Partner organizations of PID Network Deutschland include DataCite, the German National Library, the Helmholtz Open Science Office, the Bielefeld University Library, and the TIB – Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology. The project, which runs from 2023 to 2026, was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) (project number: 506475377).
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us at info.pidnetwork@listserv.dfn.de.