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About the RO-Crate API

The RO-Crate API project emerged from the need to provide consistent, programmatic access to research data collections that conform to the RO-Crate specification.

Background​

Research institutions worldwide collect and curate vast amounts of digital cultural heritage, language data, and research outputs. While the RO-Crate specification provides an excellent framework for metadata packaging, institutions needed a standardised way to:

  • Expose collections programmatically for integration with research workflows
  • Enable discovery across distributed repositories
  • Support complex search requirements for specialised domains
  • Maintain consistent APIs regardless of underlying storage systems

The Problem We Solve​

Before the RO-Crate API specification, each repository implemented their own custom API, leading to:

  • Integration complexity: Researchers and developers had to learn multiple APIs
  • Limited interoperability: Data discovery tools couldn't work across repositories
  • Inconsistent experiences: Different error handling, authentication, and response formats
  • Reduced discoverability: Valuable research data remained siloed in individual systems

Our Solution​

The RO-Crate API specification provides:

🎯 Standardised Interface​

A single API specification that repositories can implement, enabling tools and applications to work across different institutions and platforms.

🔍 Rich Search Capabilities​

Advanced search functionality including full-text search, geographic filtering, faceted search, and domain-specific filters for language and cultural data.

🔐 Flexible Authentication​

Support for public access, API keys, and OAuth2/OpenID Connect to accommodate different institutional requirements and use cases.

📊 Complete Metadata Access​

Full RO-Crate entity information with support for hierarchical navigation, file access, and conformance to specialised profiles.

Current Implementations​

The specification is already in production use at major research institutions:

Language Data Commons of Australia (LDaCA)​

data.ldaca.edu.au

LDaCA hosts language and cultural data from across Australia, making it discoverable and accessible to researchers worldwide. Their RO-Crate API implementation enables:

  • Cross-institutional data discovery
  • Integration with analysis workflows
  • Support for complex linguistic metadata

PARADISEC (Pacific and Regional Archive)​

catalog.paradisec.org.au

PARADISEC preserves endangered languages and cultural heritage from the Asia-Pacific region. Their API implementation supports:

  • Geographic search across the Pacific region
  • Language-specific filtering and faceting
  • Integration with digital preservation workflows

Project Goals​

Short Term​

  • Wider Adoption: Encourage more repositories to implement the specification
  • Enhanced Features: Add advanced search capabilities and metadata enhancements
  • Better Tooling: Develop SDKs and client libraries for popular programming languages

Long Term​

  • Write Operations: Support for creating and updating RO-Crate entities through the API
  • Distributed Discovery: Enable federated search across multiple repositories
  • Advanced Analytics: Support for research analytics and usage metrics

Community and Governance​

The RO-Crate API is developed as an open specification with input from:

  • Research institutions implementing and using the API
  • The RO-Crate community ensuring alignment with core principles
  • Domain experts in digital humanities, linguistics, and cultural heritage
  • Software developers building tools and applications

Contributing​

We welcome contributions from the community:

  • Specification improvements: Propose enhancements via GitHub issues
  • Implementation feedback: Share experiences from real-world deployments
  • Documentation: Help improve guides and examples
  • Testing: Validate the specification against different use cases

Technical Foundation​

The API builds on established web standards:

  • OpenAPI 3.1.0: For precise API specification and documentation
  • JSON-LD: For rich, linked metadata following RO-Crate conventions
  • HTTP: Standard protocols for authentication, caching, and error handling
  • REST: Predictable resource-oriented architecture

Impact and Future​

By standardizing access to RO-Crate collections, we're enabling:

For Researchers​

  • Easier data discovery across institutional boundaries
  • Simplified integration with analysis tools and workflows
  • Better reproducibility through consistent data access patterns

For Institutions​

  • Reduced integration costs through shared API clients and tools
  • Increased data discoverability and citation
  • Future-proofed systems built on open standards

For Developers​

  • Consistent interfaces across different data repositories
  • Rich ecosystem of tools and applications
  • Lower barrier to entry for research data applications

Get Involved​

Ready to join the RO-Crate API community?

Together, we're building the foundation for the next generation of research data infrastructure.