CDIF DCAT-Syntax Core and Discovery Profiles: Development Plan: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22942627
This document is the first in an irregular series of updates on development plans for the Cross-Domain Interoperability Framework (CDIF). It briefly outlines the status and intended process for development of CDIF Core and Discovery profiles based on the W3C DCAT specification, as opposed to Schema.org. While Schema.org was initially chosen as the basis for core CDIF metadata, given its widespread adoption and support in various search engines and other widely used Web-based applications, the need for a similar foundation implemented using DCAT has become apparent, as its adoption is now becoming much broader.
The intention is that a point-for-point correspondence between the two sets of profiles — for DCAT on the one hand and for Schema.org on the other — can be established, and that free converters provided to enable users to produce and consume either flavour as needed. While a single agreed standard is always ideal, it is not in this case a reality, so this approach is seen as necessary.
A major driver here is provided by the EOSC projects now using the CDIF Guidelines (CDIF v.1.1 https://cdif.codata.org), notably Climate Adapt-4-EOSC and CDIF4EOSC. EOSC will use DCAT-AP as a foundational standard, and a version of the CDIF Guidelines intended for use within EOSC needs to recognize this. Additionally, many domain application profiles and national application profiles are emerging, including in the US. Support for DCAT is also becoming more prevalent, with platforms like CKAN adopting it. The case for having equivalent profiles based on both syntaxes is clear.
The update describes DCAT Application Profiles of interest, indicates an important current gap and existing work to address this and the overall development plans. This work will be initiated immediately in the context of the CDIF4EOSC project and will be discussed in detail at a forthcoming Dagstuhl workshop. It is intended to release the DCAT-native CDIF Profiles for Core and Discovery for public review in Q1 2027.