Methodology

From September to December 2024, the Technical Working Group engaged in bi-weekly reviews and discussions, focusing on the identification of key metadata elements grouped by functional categories such as Data Discovery, Data Access, Data Provenance, Data Ownership, Temporal and Spatial Coverage, Population Coverage, Data Analytics, Data Quality, Variables, and Data Categorisation. A persona-based approach was adopted to evaluate use cases, focusing on the needs of different types of data users (e.g., researchers, policymakers). For example, use cases followed the structure: 'As a researcher, I want to easily discover relevant datasets so that I can conduct cross-border health studies. Additionally, requirements were derived from the FAIR data principles and aligned with EU policies, including the European Health Data Space Regulation, the Digital Governance Act, the HVD Implement Regulation, and the Data Act. Technical considerations were also addressed, encompassing Keyword, Faceted, Full-Text Search, Semantic Search, Natural Language Processing (NLP) and GenAI, Geospatial Search, and Metadata Management. The iterative process also involved the implementation of a Sandbox environment, where real DCAT metadata records were gathered and tested, comparing the current (AS-IS: DCAT-AP) and the future (TO-BE: HealthDCAT-AP) states. Feedback from health experts, collected via EU forms, was integral to refining these requirements and ensuring the HealthDCAT-AP specification met the practical and regulatory needs of the health domain. (Ref: 'Technical working group on the transition from existing metadata templates to HealthDCAT-AP – Working group minutes')

Definition of the requirements: