This paper is the first in a series of best practice documents produced by Research Data Canada that will be combined with other outputs from RDC and other organizations to provide a foundation and roadmap leading towards a comprehensive national framework for research data management in Canada. It is intended to provide an overview of the current landscape of research PIDs, and will provide insights into their role in developing a more cohesive virtual research environment, supporting the preservation, discoverability, and reuse of research information. The aims of this paper are to: provide all readers, regardless of expertise, with a better understanding of the role of unique identifiers; identify best practices in the international research data management community that facilitate the development of robust and sustainable systems for identifying and linking research outputs; describe the current state of adoption of PIDs in Canada and internationally; offer recommendations to the Canadian research community about the adoption of PIDs in various contexts.

This document was produced by the Best Practices: PIDs Working Group of the Standards and Interoperability Committee of Research Data Canada.