Differential privacy allows us to assess data quality without ever accessing the data itself.
Interview with Radovan Tomášik, winner of the Poster Session competition at Long Live Research Data – EOSC CZ National Conference 2025.
Research Data Sets as a New Type of Research Output
From 2026 onwards, researchers and research institutions in the Czech Republic will be able to report their research data sets as a standalone research output of type T – Digital Data Collection in the RIV system. This represents a significant step towards recognising research data as a fully acknowledged result of scientific work and supports the principles of Open Science and FAIR data.
What Is the Digital Data Collection (T) Research Output?
A Digital Data Collection is a newly recognised type of official research output defined by the Methodology for the Evaluation of Research Organisations (Methodology 2025+). It includes digital data sets with new utility value created within the framework of research and development activities.
To qualify as a research output of type T, a digital data collection must meet the following criteria:
- be described using metadata in accordance with the FAIR principles,
- have an assigned persistent identifier (PID), such as a DOI or handle,
- include a clearly defined licence or terms of use and redistribution,
- be deposited, together with its metadata, in a publicly accessible repository,
- have at least one author who contributed to the underlying research activity.
Two subtypes of research output T are distinguished:
- Topen – openly accessible digital data collections,
- Tost – other digital data collections.
Research outputs of type T are directly linked to the National Metadata Directory (NMA). According to the approved methodology, a mandatory element of the reported output T is a URL linking to its metadata record in the NMA.
What Is the National Metadata Directory (NMA)?
The National Metadata Directory (NMA) systematically aggregates metadata describing research data generated through research and development activities in the Czech Republic, ensuring their unified registration and improved discoverability. It represents a key component of the EOSC implementation architecture in the Czech Republic and a core element of the National Data Infrastructure, enabling more efficient storage, discovery, sharing, and analysis of research data.
A new version of the NMA will be released in January 2026, enabling users to obtain the required URL of the metadata record for reporting research outputs of type T to the RIV system. This URL will serve to verify the existence of the production and its compliance with the defined criteria.
User Support
For any questions, users can contact EOSC CZ at info@eosc.cz, where support is available for searching and entering metadata records in the NMA, as well as consultations related to the operation and use of the NMA.
Further information and practical guidelines will be published on eosc.cz at the beginning of January 2026.
