Program for Strengthening Data Infrastructure for the Humanities and Social Sciences

This poster session presents the “Program for Strengthening Data Infrastructure for the Humanities and Social Sciences,” led by the Historiographical Institute and the Institute of Social Science at the University of Tokyo, commissioned by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) in 2023. The program focuses on enhancing the Japan Data Catalog for the Humanities and Social Sciences (JDCat), a data platform facilitating interdisciplinary data sharing and utilization. Accessible in Japanese and English, JDCat consolidates metadata from various humanities and social sciences fields into a single searchable platform (https://jdcat.jsps.go.jp). Initially developed during the preceding JSPS program, “Program for Constructing Data Infrastructure for the Humanities and Social Sciences,” JDCat has been operational since 2021, utilizing a metadata schema based on DDI Codebook, compatible with other schemas like JPCOAR. The current program aims to scale up JDCat by diversifying the types of metadata it collects. For instance, plans are underway to incorporate metadata for wooden tablets, necessitating revisions to the existing JDCat metadata schema and controlled vocabulary. These updates, while crucial for expanding metadata capabilities, may conflict with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles, presenting a significant challenge. This session highlights strategies to address these challenges, including schema enhancements and controlled vocabulary adjustments, ensuring alignment with international metadata standards. By sharing these experiences, we invite feedback from participants and explore best practices for overcoming similar obstacles. Additionally, we seek to identify opportunities for collaboration with institutions interested in advancing metadata frameworks for the humanities and social sciences. The poster offers insights into the program’s progress and underscores the importance of robust data infrastructure for fostering interdisciplinary and international research collaboration.