2026-10-29 –, Naturalis 02
If you’ve ever struggled to keep track of physical samples or to link them clearly to your research data, you’re not alone. Physical samples - whether geological cores, environmental specimens, or engineered materials - are essential to many research projects, yet they are often difficult to document, trace, and connect to the digital information that gives them meaning.
The International Generic Sample Number (IGSN) helps solve this by giving each physical sample a unique, persistent identifier that makes it easier to register, cite, and follow throughout its lifecycle.
In this session you will learn how 4TU.ResearchData is implementing IGSN as a new service within its research data infrastructure. You will learn why this service is being introduced, how it is being built, and how it will help you manage, share, and cite physical samples more effectively - strengthening the connection between your physical and digital research outputs.
4TU.ResearchData is a trusted digital repository for publishing and preserving FAIR data and software, focusing on the domain of the natural and engineering sciences (NES). As part of our ongoing commitment to support researchers in the NES domain, we see the identification, citation, and discovery of physical samples as a natural extension of our existing services. This makes the integration of persistent identifiers for samples a complementary and timely development within 4TU.ResearchData.
This presentation introduces the implementation of the International Generic Sample Number (IGSN) at 4TU.ResearchData and explores how persistent identifiers can transform the way physical samples are managed, shared, and connected to digital research outputs.
We begin by outlining why IGSN matters: the growing importance of persistent identifiers for physical samples, their alignment with FAIR and open science principles, and the benefits they bring to researchers, institutions, and data infrastructures. The session then provides an overview of how 4TU.ResearchData is integrating IGSN into its services, including metadata requirements, workflows, and collaboration with IGSN e.V./DataCite and community standards.
Real‑world use cases from geosciences, environmental sciences, engineering, and materials research will illustrate how researchers can register and manage IGSNs and link samples to datasets, publications, and other persistent identifiers such as DOIs, ORCID iDs, and RORs. The presentation concludes by looking ahead to the roadmap for full service rollout, opportunities for collaboration and co‑development, and plans to ensure long‑term sustainability.
This session is relevant for research data professionals, infrastructure providers, and researchers working with physical samples, as well as anyone interested in persistent identifiers, FAIR data, and interoperable research workflows. You will leave with practical insights into implementing IGSN within a national data repository and how this development strengthens the broader research ecosystem.
