A problematic AfFAIR?! Planning for the Future in Long-Term Edition Projects

Challenge Description Impact Conceptual Level / Best Practices No consensus on concrete measures for FAIRification in DSE yet. Conceptual work and practical implementation as additional work packages to be integrated causes insecurity and increases workload. Legacy Systems & Data Technologies can become outdated. Data lacks full FAIR compatibility. Maintenance and (if required) implementation of new technologies as well as data preparation, conversion and enhancement might slow progess of the project. Changing Parameters Rapidly evolving standards and funding requirements. The demand to keep up to date and be compliant increases workload and might cause delays. Editorial Workflow Integration Difficulty integrating FAIR data tasks into established editorial routines. Integration of additional work packages slows routine. Human Resource Constraints Limited resources (time, funding, etc.) due to an already full work plan. Delays in work plan (and/or only partial implementation of FAIR data provision?). Sustainability Concerns Ongoing maintenance requires long-term funding. Seeking collaborations (and additional funding?) takes time and effort. Expertise and Coordination Diverse team roles and knowledge levels. Requirement for extra training, enhanced communication and documentation. Introduction Long-term edition projects manage data over decades. Integrating additional work packages for FAIR data provision poses challenges that affect workflow, technical infrastructure, and team coordination. Project Objectives The “Edition of the Frankish Capitularies” (Capitularia) is a long-term project funded by the German Academies’ Programme since 2014. Capitularies are among the most important sources for the history of the Frankish kingdoms that covered large parts of Western and Central Europe from the 6th-9th centuries. They are instructions similar to laws, ordinances or provisions, regulating political, military, ecclesiastical, social, economic and cultural matters. Since these texts are not preserved in the original, but only as part of collections, their transmission, history, and reception is quite complex. This is accounted for by taking a hybrid approach: (1) each capitulary is critically edited and translated as an individual text, to be published in print (in the MGH Leges series); (2) each collection will be presented online as transmitted in the respective manuscripts (> 400). Databases of Early Latin Manuscripts (DELM) Capitularia is involved in the international DELM network, an association of databases and edition projects relating to early medieval manuscripts. In this context, a lookup service has been developed that uses simple means to link information on manuscripts across the various resources. Text+ / NFDI: Offers, Demands, and Needs Visibility & Findability: the Text+ Registry as meta catalogue to increase the visibility and interconnectivity of the project Consulting & Expertise: provision of domain-specific guidance for FAIR implementation in historical and textual scholarship Provision of toolkits, manuals and best practice examples: Metadata enrichment, validation, and interoperability... Training & Networking: Facilitate workshops, webinars, etc. and inter-project knowledge exchange (e.g. Academies and beyond) Infrastructure: Inform about and ensure trustworthy repositories and further systems tailored to humanities projects A Problematic AfFAIR?! Planning for the Future in Long-Term Edition Projects https://capitularia.uni-koeln.de Conclusion and Outlook Retrospective FAIRification: Why? Background: FAIR Data Principles in a Nutshell Findable: Metadata and data are easy to locate by humans and machines. Accessible: Data is retrievable via standardized protocols. Interoperable: Data uses standardized vocabularies and formats. Reusable: Data is well-documented and licensed for future use. The project predates the widespread adoption of the FAIR data principles. Retrofitting it for FAIR compliance (and other emerging requirements) ensures sustainability, reuse, and interoperability of the deriving research data. Edition der fränkischen Herrschererlasse Universität zu Köln Daniela Schulz How can long-term projects adapt to evolving standards without derailing their core scholarly objective, and delaying the work plan? Which FAIR measures are possible post-hoc, and which require redesign and/or even further funding and support? Where do which responsibilities lie? 🧠 Reflections Networking | Collaboration | Support 🔗 Measures Taken and Planned TEI P5-XML encoding with restrictive schema and use of Schematron application of sustainable and open source software (e.g. WordPress) use of CC license to enable reuse of data (and tools) rich metadata provision of XML-files, scripts, tools for download/reuse on GitHub thorough internal and public documentation (editorial guidelines, technologies, etc.) presentation of results on different platforms / in different forms (blogposts, articles, data, in print, online edition and pre-prints, etc.) close collaboration and exchange of expertise with other projects, networks and the NFDI consortium Text+ (incl. a matrix position) implementation of persistent identifiers (planned) 🧩 Challenges in Long-Term DSE Projects 🔍 The retrospective integration of FAIR data work packages into an already existing work plan is challenging but essential. It requires tailored strategies, sustained and collaborative support, as well as an adaptive infrastructure. The success depends on balancing technical, managerial, and human factors. Seeking collaborations and exchange with other projects and domain experts is crucial here. We expect the NFDI to be a valuable partner in supporting this transformation on various levels, ensuring data is not only preserved but made widely usable for the future. The next steps include the implemention of persistent identifiers (PIDs), making arrangements for the depositing of our research data in a repository, and seeking strategies for the preservation of the presentation layer including the provided features beyond the actual funding phase. Poster designed by Daniela Schulz using www.canva.com; Image created using https://ki-bild-erstellen.de/; Icons created using https://chatgpt.com/; Screenshot taken from https://delm-net.github.io/ms-lookup.html; Institutional logos provided by the respective owners.