Using digital library techniques - Registration of scientific primary data

Registration of scientific primary data, to make these data citable as a unique piece of work and not only a part of a publication, has always been an important issue. With the new digital library techniques, it is finally made possible. In the context of the project "Publication and Citation of Scientific Primary Data" founded by the German research foundation (DFG) the German national library of science and technology (TIB) has become the first registration agency worldwide for scientific primary data. The datasets receive unique DOIs and URNs as citable identifiers and all relevant metadata information is stored at the online library cataloque. Registration has started for the field of earth science, but will be widened for other subjects in 2005. In this paper we will give you a quick overview about the project and the registration of primary data.