The National Metadata Directory (NMD) is a central place where information about research data collected in the Czech Republic can be searched. It aggregates metadata from repositories participating in the National Repository Platform as well as from other repositories used by the Czech research community.
Metadata records are regularly updated directly from the source data repository where the data are stored and include a direct link to the dataset.
If NMD does not contain a specific metadata record, it can be added manually using a persistent identifier (DOI, Handle). Manually created records can be updated for a limited period of time, after that, users need to contact NMD user support.
NMD Features
What NMD Does
- Collects metadata of research data in the Czech Republic
- Enables searching and filtering of information
- Works with persistent identifiers and provides URLs for reporting the result Digital Data Collection (T) to the RIV system
What NMD Does Not Do
- Does not store research data themselves – it is not a data repository
- Does not replace RIV or internal institutional systems for research output reporting
- Is not the primary environment for editing metadata
Reporting Research Data to RIV
The Digital Data Collection (T) result is a new type of output that enables the reporting of research data to the RIV system.
Digital Data Collections must meet the conditions defined in Annex 1 of the Methodology for the Evaluation of Research Organizations 2025+.
One of the mandatory fields of this result is the URL of the record in the National Metadata Directory.
FAQ
When are changes from the source repository reflected in NMD?
For records that are automatically harvested from a source repository, metadata are updated regularly. Records that are created manually can be edited for 7 days after creation. After that, any changes must be requested through NMD user support.
Why can some manually created records be edited directly while others cannot?
If the record import was completed successfully (without technical issues), the edit option will not be available. If the record contains errors after creation, it can be edited for 7 days from the date of creation. If the record was created without errors but you later discovered a discrepancy and need to make changes, please contact NMD user support.
I did not receive a confirmation email after creating a record.
A confirmation email is not sent in the following cases:
- The record was created successfully.
- The record already existed in NMD and you were redirected to it after entering the PID.
Our institution has a data repository — is it possible to automatically harvest metadata from it into NMD?
It is possible to contact NMD user support to discuss how to proceed.