The Diamond Discovery Hub (DDH) is evolving to make it easier for the Diamond Open Access community to explore, manage and understand the journal metadata it brings together.

As part of the AEGIS-OA project, we have introduced three new features in the DDH based on community feedback and requests: metadata export, journal record history, and improved handling of deleted journals. Together, these updates give users more ways to work with DDH data while supporting greater transparency and metadata quality.

Exporting journal metadata from the DDH

One of the most frequently requested features from DDH users has been the ability to export journal metadata.

Users may want to download information about journals they manage, review and update their records, or analyse the DDH dataset as part of their own research. The new export feature allows users to export their DDH search results to an Excel spreadsheet.

The feature is available to all DDH users, including Editors, Trusted Source representatives and regular users.

With metadata export, users can:

• Explore and analyse information about journals in the DDH
• Review metadata for journals they are responsible for and identify information that may need updating
• Support Trusted Sources and National Capacity Centres (NCCs) in reviewing and maintaining journal metadata
• Use DDH data for research and other analysis of the Diamond Open Access publishing landscape

We hope this makes the DDH dataset more useful not only as a discovery tool, but also as a resource for the wider Diamond OA community.

A clearer history for every journal record

Understanding how metadata changes over time is important for maintaining a reliable and transparent database. We have therefore introduced a change log for journal records in the DDH.

For eligible users, the record history shows information such as:

• When a journal record was created
• When it was last updated
• What changes have been made to the record
• Who manages the journal record

The feature is available to Admins, Trusted Sources and Editors.

The change log provides a clearer picture of how a journal record has developed over time. It can help Trusted Sources and record owners understand previous changes, support more accurate metadata maintenance, and provide useful context when reviewing a record.

As the DDH continues to grow, these histories will also become an increasingly valuable resource for understanding the development of individual journal records.

Keeping the history of deleted journals

We have also improved how the DDH handles journals that are deleted and later reintroduced.

When a journal is removed from the DDH and subsequently added again, its previous history will be reconnected to the new record. 

The record retains a more complete history of the journal's life in the dataset, helping users understand its previous presence and changes over time.

Building a more useful and transparent DDH

These updates respond directly to how DDH users work with journal metadata. They also support the broader goals of AEGIS-OA, an EU-funded Horizon Europe project working to strengthen a transparent, sustainable and high-quality Diamond Open Access publishing ecosystem across Europe.

The new features give users more ways to explore, maintain and understand DDH data,  helping make the Hub not only a discovery tool, but also a more useful resource for the Diamond OA community.

Explore the Diamond Discovery Hub and try out the new features: https://ddh.edch.eu/en