The OstData project is an emerging centralized service for long-term storage, preparation, publication and online provision of  research data on in the field of Eastern, East Central and Southeastern European studies. Part of the work of the osmikon research portal, OstData provides clear and well-structured search and research opportunities on relevant research data.

The aim of this initiative is to curate the widely divergent research data produced by research into East, East Central and Southeast Europe, as well as to ensure its quality, bundle its resources and make them searchable and accessible by establishing a modular and network-like infrastructure for such information. A search index based on a single shared metadata schema will facilitate specialized search queries using OstData, thus ensuring that research data is available for academic reuse.

Through the institutions participating in the initiative, OstData can also offer a wide range of consulting services to the interested research community, in particular in relation to research data management. Such services will include, for example, assistance on issues relating to quality assurance for research data, legal matters and preparing data management plans.