DOCiD™ Metadata Schema

Publication and Citation of Research Data and Other Research Outputs
Version 1.0 • Released 2025

Contents

Introduction

The DOCiD™ (Digital Object Container Identifier) Metadata Schema provides a comprehensive framework for the publication and citation of research data and other research outputs. It is specifically designed to support cultural heritage centres, museums, patent offices, funders, facilities, and publishing infrastructures. This schema is the DOCiD™ Metadata Schema 1.0 with additional support for cultural protocols, Indigenous knowledge systems, and African research contexts.

Purpose and Scope

DOCiD™ serves as a sophisticated publication and document identifier management platform that addresses some unique needs, such as African scholarly communication. The platform integrates multiple persistent identifier systems, supports hierarchical metadata structures, and provides seamless integration with international research infrastructure while respecting local cultural protocols and Indigenous knowledge systems.

Design Principles

Core Design Philosophy

  • Cultural Sensitivity: Incorporates Traditional Knowledge (TK) labels and Biocultural Community (BC) protocols
  • Interoperability and FAIR data compliance: Alignment with the Handle System and other international standards on Open Science and Open Infrastructure
  • Extensibility: Flexible schema supporting diverse African research outputs and cultural contexts
  • Scholarly Rigor: Comprehensive metadata validation and quality assurance
  • Community Governance: Developed through collaborative African research community input

Schema Characteristics

The DOCiD™ Metadata Schema implements 8 core properties, enhanced with African research-specific extensions:

Property Category Count Examples African Extensions
Required Properties 8 Identifier, Creator, Title, Publications, Documents, Resource Type, Funder, Project Cultural creator roles, Indigenous titles
Optional Properties 14 Subject, Description, Language, Rights, Geo Location Local Contexts labels, African language support
Identifier Types 10+ DOI, Handle, CSTR, DOCiD™ African institutional identifiers
Controlled Vocabularies 15+ Resource types, Creator roles, Relation types Indigenous knowledge classifications

Integration with African Research Infrastructure

DOCiD™ is designed to integrate seamlessly with the broader African research ecosystem:

  • National Research Networks: Integration with Ubuntunet Alliance, KENET, TENET, RENU, and other African NRENs
  • Regional Repositories: Support for African institutional repositories and digital libraries
  • International Standards: Compliance with global metadata standards while respecting local contexts
  • Multilingual Support: Native support for African languages and multilingual metadata
  • Cultural Protocols: Implementation of Local Contexts protocols for Indigenous knowledge

Governance and Development

The DOCiD™ Metadata Schema is developed and maintained through a collaborative governance model involving African research institutions, international standards bodies, and Indigenous knowledge communities. The working group includes representatives from major African universities, research organizations, and cultural institutions.

Schema Version Information
Schema Version: 1.0
Release Date: 2025
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Repository: https://github.com/Africa-PID-Alliance/DOCiD

Implementation Status

As of 2025, the DOCiD™ platform is actively deployed and used by research institutions across Africa, with ongoing development supported by the African PID Alliance and international research infrastructure organizations.

Current Implementation

This documentation represents the current implementation of the DOCiD™ Metadata Schema as deployed in production systems. Future versions will continue to evolve based on community feedback and emerging requirements from African research institutions.

System Architecture