abstract
- The ability to reliably describe, reference and connect scientific instruments is essential for transparent, FAIR-aligned research workflows. Within the DFG-funded Fachinformationsdienst Materials Science (FID Materials Science), we are developing Materials Instruments, a new digital service designed to support data stewards, research infrastructures and laboratories in managing metadata about instruments and equipment. Building on work by the Research Data Alliance (RDA) and recent community efforts around the PIDINST metadata schema, our service aims to provide a structured, interoperable environment for documenting instruments across the materials science research landscape. In the current development phase, we have started to align representative instruments from materials science with the PIDINST properties, using a standardised workflow to assess how well the schema reflects domain-specific instrument characteristics. These early insights help us understand which metadata elements are directly applicable and where community-driven extensions or guidance may be beneficial. Materials Instruments integrates these findings into a practical service concept: a curated instrument database combined with schema application guidelines, worked examples, and links to complementary FID services. Together with Material Hub, Materials Guide and Materials Map, the new service strengthens the FID’s mission to support rapid information discovery, improve research documentation practices, and enhance interoperability across materials science and engineering. In this poster, we present the project, the concept of the new service, next development steps, and invite feedback from the data stewardship community—both on the service concept and on the metadata elements users consider essential to support their instrument workflows.