Research data can be the basis as well as the result of research in the humanities. How can these heterogeneous data be made available for as long as possible and also FAIR not only to the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW)?

The storage and long-term availability of the research data in the humanities generated at the BBAW represents a major challenge. The initiative "Research Data Management" will develop a sustainable and long-term workflow for the management of this data, taking into account the FAIR principles. The initiative will outline concepts and measures to ensure better sustainability, availability, reusability and financial viability of digital work processes and their results, as well as their integration into the relevant NFDI consortia. The aim is to develop a strategy that can also be adopted by other projects of the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities.

In addition to an inventory and mapping of the research data available at the BBAW, it is planned to develop data management plans and guidelines, e.g. for the use of suitable standards. One of the main focuses will be on the possibilities of reducing the complexity of digital products in order to achieve a balance between the human and financial resources required and the specific solutions needed by basic research in the humanities. In particular, the question of whether different levels of standardisation of data and processes can be synchronized in such a way that both - the obligation to guarantee the long-term storage of research data within the BBAW and the obligation assumed by third parties within the framework of the NFDI - can be improved with appropriate use of resources.