RAiD Overview

A Research Activity Identifier (RAiD) is a globally unique, persistent identifier (PID) for research projects and activities. It is made up of an identifier (a ‘RAID name’) and an associated metadata record.  

A RAiD captures project resourcing, inputs and outputs including as contributors, organisations, grants, instruments, publications and datasets.  

A RAiD metadata record:

  • Stores all project information that is not found elsewhere (such as a project’s title, start date, description or subject)

  • Records all PIDs assigned to research metadata information, where available (incl. ORCiDs, RORs, Crossref DOIs and DataCite DOIs)

  • Links a RAiD to other RAiDs using arbitrary qualified relationships so that (e.g.) sub-projects can be created.  

An open RAiD can be accessed by anyone in the public domain.  An embargoed RAiD cannot be accessed for a maximum of 18 months.

A RAiD system enables the discovery of minted RAiDs and their metadata records via a RAiD system, no matter when or where a RAiD was minted globally.  RAiDs are accessible when they are actionable DOI RAiD URLs via a https proxy server in a web browser.

Prior to June 2024, a pre-production RAiD name will look something like this: https://doi.org/10.5555.25/raid.2023.00000001.

From June 2024 onwards, a production RAiD name will look similar to this: https://raid.org/10.25.1.5555/628555. 

RAiD is governed by ISO 23527, which has appointed the ARDC as RAiD’s Registration Authority.  The ARDC establishes governance policies and technical requirements for RAiD Registration Agencies and the RAiD services they then provide their RAiD service points.  The ARDC consults with the RAiD Advisory Group, research organisations and other key stakeholders.

The ARDC also has a RAiD Registration Agency role.  It provides a RAiD service to various RAiD service points, which includes training and access to the ARDC’s RAiD system.

When a RAiD service point has access to its Registration Agency’s RAiD system, it can then mint, access, update, share, link and embargo RAiDs on behalf of its organisation’s research projects and activities.  

The minting and digital use of RAiDs may occur automatically by a computer using the RAiD system’s computer-readable Application Programming Interface (API), or otherwise manually by a person using the RAiD system’s human-readable User Interface (UI).  

Each Registration Agency keeps a minted RAiD Register that can be accessed via the UI.  A complete RAiD Register of all the RAiDs minted on every RAiD system is held at https://doi.org. 

The RAiD ISO allows for ARDC-approved research organisations to become RAiD Registration Agencies.  SURF is soon to become a Registration Agency for the European FAIRCORE4EOSC project.  The ARDC is leading the development and implementation of model RAiD services in collaboration with FAIRCORE4EOSC partners, and especially SURF.

The ARDC envisions that research organisations will access the ARDC’s RAiD system as RAiD service points, or become RAiD Registration Agencies with their own service points.  

Registration Agencies may co-develop new RAiD system features with the ARDC, or independently develop their own RAiD system to meet their own research infrastructure and administration needs, as per the RAiD Metadata Schema. Not a valid link  Please note that some ARDC conditions apply.


For more information, go to our About page or contact our RAiD team.