Guidance CoreTrustSeal

The quality of the services and processes provided by a research data center (RDC) is of great interest to data providers, sponsors, and data users, and can be verified by appropriate certification. In addition to accreditation by the German Data Forum (RatSWD) on a national level, certification according to CoreTrustSeal is an essential indicator of quality on an international level. CoreTrustSeal is an international, community-based foundation that awards the certificate for three years according to regularly updated requirements. The path to successful certification involves the preparation of a self-assessment by following the applicable requirements. This assessment is then evaluated by two independent reviewers and discussed by the CoreTrustSeal Board.

The KonsortSWD Measure TA.2-M.1 aims to support the RDCs accredited by the RatSWD in obtaining certification – whether by providing information or conducting accompanying workshops and other formats to exchange experiences between RDCs seeking certification and those already successfully certified. The focus is on specific requirements (e.g., long-term archiving) and best-practice examples of how the research data centers can implement the requirements in their organizations.