Text+: Language and text-based research data infrastructure

Language and text data play a central role in classical and modern philology, non-European cultural studies and linguistics, as well as in philosophy, anthropology and language and text-based research in the social, economic, political and historical sciences. Such data in digital form is the subject of the Text+ infrastructure project. The work is initially focussed on the data domains of collections, lexical resources and editions.

The Leopoldina has already actively supported several years of preparatory work for Text+. Within Text+, the Leopoldina is active as a competence centre in the data domain of editions. Sandra König works here as a research associate at the Centre for Science Studies. Her responsibilities include community building (workshops, training, counselling, mediation/discussion formats) and she is also involved in setting up a curated list of editions, the so-called registry. This registry will provide structured access to a large number of existing resources - not only digital, but also printed editions.

The foundation stone for the establishment and funding of a national research data infrastructure was laid with the federal-state agreement of 26 November 2018, and work in the National Research Data Infrastructures Association began in October 2020. The Leopoldina itself has also been a member of the association since September 2021.
The aim of the NFDI is to systematically index, network, make available and secure data sets in the long term in accordance with the so-called FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable). The NFDI is made up of independently operating consortia that develop subject-specific solutions and infrastructures for research data management in their communities. Within the NFDI, Text+ combines with NFDI4Culture, NFDI4Memory and NFDI4Objects to form "Humanities@NFDI". In a 'Memorandum of Understanding', these consortia have committed to working closely together to promote the sustainable preservation and provision of cultural heritage research data.