Becoming a DataCite member organization is not a single milestone; it is a journey shaped by different challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned. In the DataCite Member Stories blog series, we share the experiences of research organizations around the world as they work to connect research, improve discovery, and support open science using DataCite infrastructure.
In this post, we feature Universidade do Porto from Portugal, which shares its DataCite journey, the impact of adopting DataCite DOIs, and what it means to be part of the global DataCite community.
Why theses and dissertations matter
Theses and dissertations are an important part of the scholarly record, documenting original research and capturing valuable knowledge that may not be published elsewhere. Yet, compared with journal articles and books, they can be less visible and harder to discover, connect, cite, and reuse beyond the institution where they were produced.
Persistent identifiers (PIDs) such as DataCite DOIs can help address these challenges. The DataCite Metadata Schema, developed and maintained through a community-driven process, supports DOI creation and management for more than 30 types of research outputs, resources, and activities and is aligned with relevant community standards and use cases. An official Dissertation resource type was introduced in 2021 with Metadata Schema 4.4 and is now among the 10 most frequently registered resource types in the DataCite registry, alongside Software, Physical Object, Preprint, and Dataset. With more than 800,000 dissertations registered by an increasing number of DataCite members, this resource type demonstrates how DataCite supports a wide range of institutional research outputs while continuing to adapt the Metadata Schema to the evolving needs of the community.
DataCite’s tailored metadata and infrastructure services, shaped by community feedback, empower research organizations to make a wider range of scholarly contributions more visible and connected to the global scholarly record, while rich metadata helps provide credit and attribution to contributors, funders, and other key stakeholders.
Universidade do Porto: Expanding the visibility of theses and dissertations
Universidade do Porto has long recognized the value of PIDs in supporting the visibility, accessibility, and long-term preservation of research outputs. Through a national agreement coordinated and supported by the DataCite Consortium Lead, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Universidade do Porto expanded DataCite DOI adoption to cover a broad range of research outputs under its DataCite membership. A key objective has been the retrospective registration of the University’s entire collection of theses and dissertations, not only recent submissions. To date, this includes more than 66,000 dissertations, alongside datasets, collections, articles, images, proceedings, and other research outputs, published in multiple languages, including Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish. More than 95% of these works have already been registered with DataCite and assigned a DOI, with 100% coverage expected by the end of 2026.
Integrating DataCite DOIs into institutional workflows
At the Universidade do Porto repository, DataCite DOIs are integrated into several workflows for managing and disseminating research outputs. The most mature implementation concerns theses and dissertations, which follow a structured workflow within SiGARRA, the University’s academic and information management system.
Once approved, theses and dissertations are automatically available in the researcher’s public profile and subsequently in the University’s publications repository. Metadata is reviewed, a DataCite DOI is assigned, and the information is propagated back to the relevant institutional systems, ensuring consistency and interoperability across platforms.
Through these workflows, Universidade do Porto connects its research outputs to the global scholarly ecosystem, with metadata associated with DataCite DOIs harvested and made openly available for indexing and discovery through downstream services.
Building long-term visibility
The main impact of this work has been the large-scale adoption of PIDs across one of Universidade do Porto’s most important scholarly collections: its theses and dissertations. By assigning DataCite DOIs to this collection, the University has established a foundation for the long-term identification, discovery, and reuse of these research outputs.
With the DOI assignment process completed less than a year ago, the University is already laying the groundwork for greater visibility and impact, continuously monitoring usage indicators, including citations and downloads. As the metadata is harvested by external services and integrated into research discovery platforms, the University expects the benefits of persistent identification to become increasingly clear over time.
Being part of the DataCite community has supported the University’s objectives by providing a trusted framework for persistent identification, metadata management, and interoperability. The scale of the initiative demonstrates that assigning DataCite DOIs retrospectively to an entire collection of theses and dissertations is both feasible and sustainable.
Universidade do Porto is particularly proud of this achievement and sees its experience as a positive example for institutions looking to extend the use of persistent identifiers beyond traditional research publications. By making its theses and dissertations persistently identifiable and connected to the wider scholarly ecosystem, the University is strengthening research visibility and advancing Open Science. Looking ahead, it plans to complete the remaining registrations, expand DOI adoption, and assess its long-term impact on accessibility, visibility, and reuse.
The value of DataCite membership: Beyond DOI registration
For Universidade do Porto, being part of the DataCite community means much more than the ability to register DOIs. It connects the University to a global network of institutions committed to Open Science, trustworthy research infrastructures, and the responsible management of scholarly outputs.
DataCite membership has provided valuable access to guidance, documentation, training opportunities, and examples of good practice from institutions around the world. These resources have been particularly useful as the University has expanded DOI adoption beyond traditional publications.
Universidade do Porto views DataCite not as a service provider but as a collaborative community that promotes innovation and shared learning. As the University continues to expand the use of PIDs, it looks forward to further engaging with the community, sharing its experience, and learning from other institutions facing similar challenges and opportunities. The University believes that participation in the DataCite community strengthens both the University and the broader research ecosystem by fostering common standards, collaboration, and the wider adoption of Open Science practices.
DataCite Community Specialist Mohamad Mostafa will attend the 29th International Symposium on Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD 2026) in person, taking place October 23–25, 2026, at IIT Delhi, India. If you’re attending and would like to connect or learn more about DataCite, we’d be happy to meet you there.
Every organization has a unique journey toward building more open, connected, and discoverable research ecosystems. Join a global community working to improve the visibility, impact, and reuse of research outputs. Get in touch with the DataCite team to explore the suitable path for your institution.
Mohamad Mostafa
