A RAiD works because it identifies a research project or activity first, before storing the metadata information that is associated with that project or activity.
RAiD’s reliable sustainability is due to the digital PID component in every RAiD name. RAiD names are prefixed using DOI syntax, as specified by the globally recognised Handle System®.
The Handle System®
The Handle System® was developed by the Canadian National Resources International (CNRI) to meet these 3 Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Requests for Comment (RFCs):
The Handle System® is a global system that is administered and maintained by the DONA Foundation. It uses handles containing DOI (Digital Object Identifier) syntax that is governed by the DOI Foundation.
The DOI syntax used in RAiD prefixes is specified in ISO 26324:2012 – Information and documentation — Digital object identifier system.
Although DOI names may be expressed as either actionable URLs (using a ‘https’ proxy server) or URIs (using a ‘http’ proxy server), RAiD DOIs are usually expressed only as actionable URLs (using a ‘https’ proxy server).
Each minted RAiD is designed to meet the requirements of DOI ISO 26324 and its associated DOI® Handbook, and the RAiD governance and minting requirements outlined in ISO 23527:2022 – Information and documentation — Research activity identifier (RAiD).
Key advantages of RAiD being an application of the Handle System® include:
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Global resolution capability provides RAiD scalability
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Full Unicode™ character support
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Secure name resolution over the internet
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A defined vocabulary that has the specific purpose of improving semantic interoperability.
Why use RAiD for research projects and activities?
Projects are typically where research happens
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They reflect collaborative practices while accommodating sole researchers
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Although time-limited, projects are an identifiable and meaningful ‘container’ of combined research and administrative activity
Projects are not grants
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There is no 1:1 relationship between grants and projects – some projects may never receive grant funding while others may be awarded many grants
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RAiD captures longer-term outputs for determining project outcomes and impacts – (e.g.) grants may close, but projects may produce grant-supported outputs for many years thereafter
Projects evolve over time
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Existing research element PIDs aimed at stable digital artefacts only provide ‘snapshots’ of information, but projects and research activities change continuously
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Projects change over time as their inputs (e.g. contributors, organisations, tools) change – RAiD captures these metadata updates so a project or activity history can be created
Projects are where research is administered
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A common applied concept is 'Research Information Systems'
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Administration appears in research PID metadata records
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Administration also appears in domain-specific metadata standards.