One Template to Rule Them All: Interactive Research Data Documentation with Quarto

This paper introduces the Open Research Data Template, a modular, Quarto-based framework developed to enhance the documentation, publication, and reuse of research data in the Digital Humanities. Originating from the Stadt.Geschichte.Basel project, the template addresses common challenges in research data management (RDM), such as poor documentation of data preprocessing and reuse pathways, by integrating narrative, metadata, and executable code into interactive, version-controlled websites. Built on The Turing Way guidelines and leveraging GitHub for collaboration and Zenodo for archival DOIs, the template enables automated deployment, consistent repository structure, and living, reproducible documentation. Through diverse use cases, including project documentation, reproducible workflows, conference and teaching platforms, and living handbooks, the paper demonstrates the template’s flexibility and scalability. The authors argue that making robust, interactive documentation a default practice lowers technical barriers, improves sustainability, and fosters genuinely open and reusable research outputs. The widespread adoption of the template illustrates its value as a practical model for elevating open data standards and supporting the evolving needs of the Digital Humanities community.