Knowledge Base

High-quality metadata is the main mechanism that makes your research outputs FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). In HORTUS, metadata formats (metadata sets) let you describe resources in a structured way, so the same description can be reused across different systems (repositories, registries, community infrastructures, project portals) without re-entering everything. Interoperability is not something you do only at the end (when you click an Export button). It starts earlier: you first decide where your resource should be published, deposited, or indexed, and then you align your metadata to the expectations of those target platforms.

Start from your dissemination targets (choose the platforms first)

Before selecting a metadata format or creating a new one, define your target platform(s). Depending on your discipline and the type of output, these can include:

• General-purpose repositories (e.g., Zenodo).
• Discipline/community infrastructures (e.g., CLARIN, SSHOC, or other domain repositories).
• Institutional repositories (your university or institute repository).
• Publication venues (journal/publisher platforms, conference proceedings portals).
• Code and workflow hosting (e.g., GitHub/GitLab for software, notebooks, pipelines).
• Scholarly dissemination platforms (e.g., ResearchGate and similar services).

For each target platform, answer the following questions (even briefly):

1.What exactly will be deposited/published there (publication, dataset, software, audio/video, image collection, 3D model, etc.)?
2.Which metadata fields are mandatory for that platform (e.g., title, creators, date, license, keywords, resource type)?
3. Does the platform require or recommend controlled vocabularies or constrained values (e.g., licenses, languages, resource types)?
4.Which identifiers matter most (DOI for outputs, ORCID for people, stable URLs for organisations, projects, and referenced resources)?
5.How will HORTUS metadata be reused there (automated export, manual copy/paste, or external mapping)?

This short checklist becomes your interoperability compass: it tells you which metadata set to select in HORTUS and what to prioritise when you fill the fields.

Start from your dissemination goals.

• identify target platforms first
• design metadata accordingly
• ensure compatibility with external systems

Prioritise:

• clarity
• completeness
• standardisation

Focus on:

• descriptive fields
• keywords
• identifiers
• licences

Before exporting data:

• verify metadata completeness
• check format compatibility
• align with external standards
• avoid custom fields that break compatibility

HORTUS allows:

• internal discovery (Marketplace)
• linking to projects and events
• sharing across users
• exporting to external platforms