Organization

MPDL Big Data Analytics

The division MPDL Big Data Analytics studies the worldwide scientific publication process, underlying networks, and influential trends. Analysis, visualization, and reporting provide a comprehensive insight into the scientific publication landscape. Through integration and harmonization of numerous external data sources within the framework, the team prepares them for use in various scenarios. This includes creating publication profiles (overviews, statistics, networks) for Max Planck institutions, monitoring nationwide and global patterns (e.g. open access, publication channels, interdisciplinarity), and providing diverse support in license management (MPG-Literatur-Grundversorgung, MPDL Services gGmbH for the nationwide consortium DEAL). Efficient and highly automated processes and frameworks are developed and used for this purpose, which can be flexibly expanded to meet specific requirements of our stakeholders.

MPDL Collections

The Collections division of the MPDL operates a large number of productive, web-based software applications and services to support scientists in publication and research data management. Central to this are MPG.PuRe and Edmond, the institutional publication and data repositories of the Max Planck Society. Further focal points are the support of the Max Planck Institutes in research data management and Open Science.

DEAL Services

The DEAL Services division supports the MPDL Services gGmbH (MPDLS) in the efficient implementation of the German-wide DEAL contracts, which the Alliance of Science Organizations in Germany has negotiated and offers to eligible institutions within the DEAL Consortium. The division’s tasks are geared towards achieving MPDLS’s goal to foster science and research in Germany by securing Open Access publishing services and access to scholarly and scientific literature. DEAL Services focuses on the management of the MPDLS’s signup agreements with currently more than 400 institutions by providing support services, planning and executing the invoicing process, as well as coordinating and managing various administrative processes with the respective publishers. These processes particularly concern open access publishing, including the verification and approval of publishing reports, and monitoring the progress of the DEAL contracts in regards to the open access transformation. Furthermore, DEAL Services works with various stakeholders, like libraries of universities and research institutions, for which the division provides information and communication resources, like the DEAL Consortium website, webinars, and a community platform.

MPDL Digital Labs

With its MPDL Digital Labs division, the MPDL supports the Max Planck Institutes with inventive tools for scientists, contemporary infrastructures, and information on new services. The mission of Digital Labs is to ensure a constant pipeline of new technologies to provide innovative and sustainable services for all Max Planck researchers. Contributing to the requirements of the constantly evolving scientific work environment, Digital Labs implements novel and sustainable tools for scientists within the MPG by evolving new ideas and technologies. With this unique approach, Digital Labs develops concepts, services, and initiatives, that allow user autonomy, encourage open exchange between scientists and help benefit scientific research. In particular, with the blockchain-initiative bloxberg – the first global scientific blockchain – Digital Labs aims to provide researchers with decentralized and autonomous services and to foster collaboration among the international scientific community. The development and use of innovative tools and infrastructures also ensure a huge competitive advantage for the MPG.

MPDL Scientific Information Provision

MPDL's Scientific Information Provision division supports all Max Planck researchers with a wide range of services related to the procurement, management and delivery of essential scientific literature in a seamless and efficient manner. Working in close collaboration with the libraries of the various Max Planck Institutes, the team provides Max Planck researchers with an excellent offering of journals, eBooks, databases, and other digital information tools through the MPG-wide licensing program ("Literatur-Grundversorgung"). The division concludes agreements with publishers and vendors, manages all licensed resources, and ensures easy access through MPDL's search and information retrieval interfaces. Based on a close analysis of the publishing preferences of Max Planck researchers, the team negotiates with scholarly publishers to enable MPG authors to publish their research open access in their preferred venues to gain the broadest possible visibility and readership for their research.

MPDL Software Licensing

The MPDL Software Licensing (SoLi) division is the point of contact for all questions concerning the basic supply of software and online services for the Max Planck Institutes and MPG facilities. SoLi provides central contracts for widely used software from science, IT infrastructure, and administration. The aims of the basic software supply are low-threshold use of software, minimization of local effort, and economic benefit for the entire MPG.
The SoLi team is responsible for all activities related to needs assessment, procurement, license management, and provision across all Max Planck Institutes. In addition to contacts with manufacturers and distributors, the communicative focus also includes close cooperation with technical experts from the Max Planck Institutes as well as regular exchange with a cross-section advisory commission. Via several transparent platforms and instruments that are also managed by Software Licensing, anyone interested in the MPG can find out about the constantly growing portfolio of the service and suggest missing products for inclusion in the basic software supply of the MPG.

MPDL Communications & Press

MPDL Communications & Press stands at the forefront of strategic communication and the innovative promotion of all MPDL's activities. Entrusted with a broad spectrum of external communication duties, the group ensures that MPDL's public engagements are professional and transparent. As the principal point of contact for media collaborations, the team manages traditional press and public relations, orchestrating partnerships with leading media outlets and innovative digital platforms. It is committed to articulating a consistent and engaging narrative that faithfully represents the core of the MPDL, its mission, and its future-oriented services and tools. In addition, the group is also responsible for overseeing all marketing activities for the MPDL, including developing and implementing marketing strategies that effectively convey the value and benefits of MPDL's offerings to a diverse audience. Through targeted campaigns, promotional materials, and events, the group works to enhance the visibility of MPDL's services and tools within the national and international scientific community and the general public.

MPDL Core Service Operations

With a primary focus on internal matters, MPDL Core Service Operations (CSO) provide a variety of central services within the MPDL, which enable employees to work efficiently and effectively. This service portfolio covers numerous areas, including financial and personnel administration, support for internal IT resources, system administration of web services, support for quality assurance and process optimization, as well as people development.
The acquisition of new, skilled team members for the MPDL is the focus of the division. CSO strives to find new people whose ideas will help to develop tools, services, and information infrastructures for shaping the future of science. It is the division’s goal to welcome new employees within the MPDL community and to foster them throughout their MPDL career. Various instruments and methods of human resource development, change management, diversity management, and (corporate) health management. The purpose of CSO is to strengthen the MPDL from within and thereby make an important contribution to the science community.