The FireOak team keeps an eye out for and shares the most interesting articles, reports, and case studies related to managing, sharing, and securing information, data, and knowledge. Here are some snippets from what we’re reading right now. This week, our read examines the first deliverable by the RDA Research Data Repository Interoperability Working Group (RDRIWG).

The Research Data Repository Interoperability Primer is the first deliverable by the RDA Research Data Repository Interoperability Working Group. RDRIWG’s goal is to solidify a consensus on standards for interoperability between different research data repository platforms, with a focus on machine-machine communication.
This primer is an overview of targeted use cases, requirements to fulfill those cases, and available technologies that may be incorporated.
- Use Case 1: Migration/Replication of a Digital Object between research data repository platforms
- Use Case 2: Retrieval of information related to the platform and/or its contents
Machine Operable Interfaces
In primer Section A, Machine Operable Interfaces, a selection of interfaces are presented, including “generic protocol specifications for data/metadata exchange as well as specific programming interfaces implemented in one particular platform that can be adopted by other platforms.”
Selections (italics) and their use, Case 1 or Case 2, include:
- OAI-PMH Protocol CASE 2
- SWORD Protocol CASE 1
- ResourceSync Specification (latest version 1.1 published February 2017) CASE 1 & 2
- Linked Data Platform (LDP) Specification CASE 1
- DARIAH Storage API CASE 1
- DARIAH-DE Repository API CASE 1 & 2
- OpenAIRE API CASE 1 & 2
- VOSpace, the IVOA interface to distributed storage Protocol CASE 1 & 2
(Meta-)Data Formats and Models
In Section B, (Meta-)Data Formats and Models, (meta)data formats and schemes that can be used for standardized exchange of information are presented. “However, in addition to the format there will still be the need of some machine operable endpoint reading and writing the presented standard (meta-)data formats.”
Selections (italics) and their use, Case 1 or Case 2, include:
- OAI-ORE Format CASE 1 & 2
- METS Schema CASE 1 & 2
- Re3data Schema CASE 2
- DataCite Metadata Schema 4.0 CASE 1 & 2
- Portland Common Data Model CASE 1
Custom Tools
In Section C, Custom Tools, customs tools not fitting into sections A and B are described.
Selections and their use, Case 1 or Case 2, include:
- Import/Export via BagIt (Fedora Import/Export Utility) CASE 1
- Dat Protocol CASE 1
- The Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) CASE 1
The primer providers the reader with other useful information and links. Click here for more information on RDA groups with overlapping and/or complementary work. For the Platform Capability Matrix, click here.
Citation:
RDA Research Data Repository Interoperability Working Group. (2017, June 21). Research Data Repository Interoperability Primer (Version 1.0). http://doi.org/10.15497/RDA00020