Information infrastructures provide science and research with systematically collected and formatted information such as texts, pictures, biosamples, audio recordings or crystal structures, as well as with the associated services. Surveys, cohorts and panels are cross-sectional or longitudinal studies on a segment of the population. They collect data and make them available in research data centres, comparable to telescopes, which provide data on outer space.
The Leibniz Association places particular emphasis on the construction, running, and further development of information infrastructures. With its specialist libraries, archives and information and data centres, the Leibniz Association offers numerous resources for scientists and researchers.
The work of the ‘Commission on the Future of Information Infrastructure’ (KII) highlighted the extraordinary competence of the Leibniz Association in this field. Spearheaded by the Leibniz Association, the Commission proposed a ‘General Strategy for Information Infrastructure in Germany’ to the Joint Science Conference (GWK) in 2011. The Leibniz Association will continue to lend its expertise in advising the Council for Information Infrastructures.
The digital revolution has fundamentally changed how we can spread information and therefore conduct scientific research. Digital resources such as databases, digital libraries and digitalised collections are especially well suited for remote access since they can be used and connected regardless of physical borders. The demands have increased accordingly: Leibniz Information Infrastructures are constantly assimilating innovative developments in research and technology to be able to overcome the new challenges they face, such as guaranteeing the capacity of information to be analysed, securing long-term accessibility for digital data and data security. The Leibniz Association does not just make resources available worldwide, it also assists scientists in managing digital data gathered in the research process for further use by the scientific community.
