Various RDM service centers, including NFDI consortia, state initiatives, and institutional helpdesks, advise researchers on research data management. Although these support structures differ, their consultation topics often overlap, creating opportunities to standardize documentation. While some work has addressed the syntax of consultation documentation, there is still no established approach for standardizing its semantics. To address this gap, we developed a German-language category model for documenting and analyzing RDM consultations. It consists of 31 main categories and 94 subcategories. The model was evaluated by six experts in RDM counseling, who applied it to their own consultation protocols and then reflected on their experiences in interviews. The evaluation showed that the model broadly covers RDM topics. However, participants suggested some changes, including an optional third level of discipline- or institution-specific categories. The model was considered simple enough for everyday use, provided that it is implemented in a low-threshold way and can complement existing documentation practices, such as ticketing systems. Participants identified several potential applications, including planning consultation services, preparing meetings, improving quality assurance, and supporting collaboration between RDM service centers. Because the categories do not contain sensitive information about individual requests, they could be shared between NFDI helpdesks. This would help identify relevant experts, enable exchange about specific issues, and strengthen collaboration. The NFDI is particularly well suited for implementing such a model due to its consolidated helpdesk structures and the need for regular cross-consortial coordination. RDMO could provide a suitable implementation platform, and further development with interested stakeholders is planned.
Bobrov et al. (Wed,) studied this question.