Open Monthly Meeting Notes: January 2026

The open monthly meetings aim to strengthen information exchange within ORDS-MV. The platform is open to all interested people (students, doctoral researchers, postdocs, senior scientists and professors, …) who wish to discuss topics related to Open and Reproducible Data Science and Statistics. It provides space to share experiences, raise questions, articulate needs, and develop joint plans and initiatives.

In January 2026, we met virtually and discussed the following topics:

• Historic data: We revisited the topic of historic datasets and discussed strategies for digitizing these valuable materials. Among the approaches currently used are Transkribus, an AI-powered platform for digitizing and interpreting handwritten historical documents, and Planet AI, a Rostock-based company offering AI solutions for document analysis.

• Data publishers: We discussed the technical requirements involved in publishing data in repositories. The large number of available repositories can make it challenging for researchers to identify the most appropriate one. In addition, each data centre has its own workflows and submission requirements. Participants shared experiences with repositories such as EurOBIS, GBIF, Pangaea, etc.

Thank you to all participants for the constructive exchange. We look forward to welcoming you to the next monthly meeting or upcoming ORDS-MV events.