What do researchers actually need from a digital research infrastructure? For the RESILIENCE project, answering this question was the starting point for designing services that truly support everyday research practices.
To better understand user needs, RESILIENCE engaged researchers, librarians, digital experts and project partners through interviews, workshops and testing sessions. These conversations provided valuable insights into how scholars search for resources, collaborate with colleagues and navigate digital research environments. The feedback collected now guides the next phase of development across the RESILIENCE infrastructure.
A consistent message emerged from these discussions: researchers value clarity, coherence and efficiency when using digital services. Many participants highlighted the difficulty of navigating multiple platforms to find the resources, expertise or services they need.
These insights were translated into user stories and concrete use cases that inform the design of RESILIENCE services. One visible outcome is the development of the RESILIENCE Marketplace, a platform designed to provide a unified entry point where users can discover services, access resources, manage their profiles and collaborate with others. By bringing these elements together, the Marketplace aims to reduce fragmentation and better support research workflows.
Early prototypes of the Marketplace and the ReIReSearch Discovery Platform were evaluated in dedicated workshops with future users. These sessions confirmed that the overall direction of development is promising, while also highlighting areas for improvement.
Participants emphasised the importance of transparent structures, meaningful labels and automated processes that reduce unnecessary manual work. These priorities now inform both the technical development and the strategic planning of RESILIENCE services.
The development of RESILIENCE follows an iterative and user-driven approach. Insights gathered from interviews and workshops are translated into design decisions, implemented through prototypes and then evaluated again by users. This continuous feedback loop ensures that the infrastructure evolves in line with real research practices.
The results of Deliverable 3.4 (Documented Use Cases, 2nd Batch) demonstrate that user feedback is not simply an additional input but a central driver of the RESILIENCE infrastructure. By grounding development in the experiences of its community, RESILIENCE is building services that are relevant, usable and sustainable in the long term.