From Documentation to Discovery - MaRDMO and the MaRDI Ecosystem

MaRDMO, a plugin for the widely used Research Data Management Organiser (RDMO [1], [2]), is designed to support the FAIR [3] documentation of mathematical models [4], algorithms [5], and interdisciplinary workflows [6]. It enables researchers from all fields to systematically describe the components of their work using tailored questionnaires [7] that reflect the specific needs of mathematical research data [8], [9]. By capturing this information in a structured format, MaRDMO facilitates the integration into the interconnected services of the ecosystem of the Mathematical Research Data Initiative (MaRDI [10]). These services are the Mathematical Model Database (MathModDB [11]–[14]), the Mathematical Algorithm Database (MathAlgoDB [15]), and the MaRDI Portal [16] which serves as a one-stop shop for mathematical research data. Likewise, MaRDMO enables researchers to find existing mathematical models, algorithms, and interdisciplinary workflows documented by the research community. Originally developed within the German research data management community, RDMO is a web-based tool that supports the creation of data and software management plans. Its questionnaire and plugin architecture makes it highly adaptable to discipline-specific needs. Moreover, RDMO is already in use at many German research institutions, and a majority of the consortia of the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI [17]) are providing or planning to provide access to it [18]. This widespread adoption makes RDMO a familiar environment for researchers, which strengthens MaRDMO's potential to integrate seamlessly into existing data management practices. To make MaRDMO [19] widely accessible and immediately usable by the research community, MaRDI will provide, together with the basic service DMP4NFDI [20], a dedicated RDMO instance (a prototype is available online1 ). This instance comes with specific questionnaires and export functions that are aligned with the data models of MaRDI's services. Researchers can use this instance without the need to install software or manage infrastructure, making it an ideal entry point for FAIR-compliant research data management in mathematics and related disciplines. Further MaRDI services (e.g. CSE workflows [21]) will be integrated in the future. The MaRDI RDMO instance exemplifies Research Data Management in Action by not only providing questionnaires, but also supporting a high degree of automation. Where possible, user input is validated and pre-filled using metadata from the individual MaRDI services, reducing manual effort while enhancing the quality and consistency of documentation [5]. Researchers benefit from structured guidance that makes it easy to record relevant metadata for the individual data types. Beyond documentation, MaRDMO fosters discovery and reuse across disciplinary boundaries. It can export structured metadata directly into the individual MaRDI services, making mathematical research data findable and usable by both machines and humans. This functionality is especially valuable for interdisciplinary research, where models, algorithms, and workflows may be adapted and reused across different scientific domains. By lowering the barriers to both contributing and accessing high-quality metadata, MaRDMO advances a culture of openness, rigor, and interdisciplinary exchange in mathematical research. In this way, MaRDMO contributes not only to the goals of the MaRDI consortium, but also to the broader mission of the NFDI to foster sustainable, standards-based research data infrastructures across all disciplines.