Research

In modern research, many digital results are generated from experiments, simulations or measurements. However, often only the most important data and metadata are stored long-term, for example if they are part of a scientific publication. The software Kadi4Mat creates technical possibilities for managing as much of the data as possible in such a way that long-term benefits can be derived from it. It is particularly important to record the data simply and as automatically as possible and to store the information correctly: The more data is stored, the more important it becomes to catalogue and categorise the data accordingly, so that you don't have to search for a needle in a haystack later on. This is why software such as Kadi4Mat is needed to store information in a meaningful way, make it available in the long term and relate it to one another. Only in this way can the accumulated data be efficiently searched, analysed, visualised and compared with each other in order to maximise the information gained from scientific work in accordance with the FAIR principles.

Kadi4Mat is being developed at the IAM-MMS in the context of several research projects and collaborations. The software enables close cooperation between experimenters, theorists and simulators, particularly in the materials sciences, and supports the acquisition of new knowledge and the development of novel materials. While the focus is on materials science and engineering, its use is increasingly being established in a wide range of research disciplines. The working group is also very active in the development and networking of a national research data infrastructure through its participation in NFDI4Ing.

Further information about Kadi4Mat and related activities can be found at https://kadi.iam.kit.edu.