ePIC - Persistent Identifier Consortium for eResearch

What is an ePIC PID?

The ePIC (Persistent Identifier Consortium for eResearch) PID is a globally unique, persistent identifier designed for long-term management and referencing of digital and physical resources. Developed by the ePIC consortium, it ensures that data, samples, publications, or other research outputs remain accessible and citable over time. The system supports robust metadata and flexible resolution services, making it a versatile tool for managing research assets in a reliable and interoperable manner.

The PIDs created and maintained are based on the Handle System. Every handle consists of two parts prefix/suffix: its naming authority, otherwise known as its prefix, and a unique local name under the naming authority, otherwise known as its suffix. ePIC prefixes are allocated in the top level namespace 21., hence have the format 21.xxxx/xxxx. Prefixes are often assigned per institution, with each suffix uniquely identifying objects within this namespace. Thanks to the combination of prefix and suffix, any handle is globally unique within the context of the Handle System.

Key features

Key features and common use-cases of the ePIC Service include, but are not limited to:

  • Flexible Metadata Schema and Research Entities: The ePIC PID Service does not preset a provider-specified metadata schema. Hence, ePIC PIDs can be assigned to any kind of research entities. Infrastructure managers have the possibility to register a metadata schema tailored to their use-case. The ePIC Data Type Registry is a typing service which can be used to define and openly register the metadata attributes of the PID.

  • Support the whole research data life cycle: ePIC PIDs support the whole research data lifecycle from creation till archiving: ePIC PIDs can be assigned to data when created, even before the data being published. This PID can also be used later for publishing or in data archiving systems. Using ePIC PIDs, the objects can have the same high-quality persistent identifier for the whole lifecycle.

  • PIDs for high-granular data: Due to it’s cost model, the ePIC service allows for cost-efficient PID assignment also if large numbers of PIDs are generated. This is particularly relevant if PIDs should be assigned at a high granularity level (for example, if PIDs are not only required at the dataset level, but also for elements within a dataset).

How do I set up infrastructure to assign ePIC PIDs?

If you are an infrastructure manager and you would like to set up infrastructure (e.g. repository, PID service, …) which enables end-users to assign ePIC PIDs, you need to work with a member of the ePIC Consortium. Here’s a short guide:

  • PID4NFDI Prefix Registration Service: If you set up infrastructure for NFDI, please check out our Prefix Registration Service. A free of charge ePIC prefix (issued by GWDG as an ePIC member) can be directly requested via the service for your PID use-case with up to 50.000 ePIC PIDs per year.

If the prefix registration service does not fit your needs, you can proceed as follows:

  • Find a Service Provider and Register as a Client: Identify a partner within the ePIC Consortium that offers PID (Persistent Identifier) services. Many are universities, research institutions, data centers, or National Research & Education Networks (NREN). Contact the provider to register and set up access to their PID services. The client will usually be provided with a dedicated namespace/prefix. The prefix is allocated in the top level namespace 21. Based on the policy of ePIC the Client will get access to the APIs for the management of PID and their metadata. The costs for the PID service can slightly differ from partner to partner in the ePIC consortium. The GWDG’s cost model can be found here.

For more detailed guidance

Interoperability

The ePIC system is fully interoperable with DOI (Digital Object Identifier) standards. Any ePIC identifier, including its prefix, can also be resolved using the Global Handle Resolver, ensuring seamless integration into existing research infrastructures.

Contact

If you have a project for which PIDs need to be generated, please contact support@pidconsortium.eu or check out our PID4NFDI Prefix Registration Service.

Creators: Torsten Kahlert (https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3264-5006), Jana Böhm (https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9802-113X)