After the initial release of the CDIF version 1.1 Profiles in June, and a subsequent round of testing and implementation, they have now been finalised. The release will henceforth be stable, with all further issues and features addressed in subsequent versions. The release can be found at https://book.cdif.org/ and
Version 1.1 consists of profiles for JSON-LD implementation in support of cross-domain FAIR systems and applications:
Core (Schema.org) – basic general and administrative metadata
Discovery (Schema.org) – support for detailed cataloging and search
Concept Scheme (SKOS, OWL, XKOS) – Ontologies, glossaries, and other types of controlled vocabularies
Codelist (SKOS) – enumerated values for populating variables
Data Description (Schema.org/DDI-
Data Structure (DDI-CDI) – description of reusable data structures and variables
Manifest (RO Crate) – Packaging of related sets of metadata and data
Version 1.1 also includes guidelines for data access using ODRL, and guidance regarding time, geography, and units of measure. These areas and some additional ones (including provenance, data quality, mappings, etc.) are now being actively developed within the CDIF4EOSC project for upcoming releases of the CDIF guidelines. Work is also being undertaken to produce a DCAT native version of Core and Discovery.
Each profile gives a subset of fields and specific guidance on interoperable implementation for large-scale exchange of FAIR resources between different domains, infrastructures, and communities. It is a practical realization of a technical “lingua franca” based on common, domain-neutral specifications.
For more information, please contact cdif-feedback@codata.