Improving access to recorded language data

This article discusses the work of the Research Data Alliance (RDA) Language Codes Working Group, which is addressing the problem of how scientists can discover data from various research areas that is managed by different disciplinary approaches and standards. The WG is addressing standardisation of metadata elements in two areas: codes for identification of languages and language varieties, and categories for describing the content of resources. The goal is to deliver metadata components that can be used by archives across disciplines which address these two areas, using descriptors linked to a registry of data categories to ensure transparency and consistency and lead to improved discovery and access for researchers across disciplines.