The aim of metodus.eu project is to support the research activities through the construction of a database dedicated to historical treatises on methods of representation and their applications. Metodus.eu is the first digital platform that contains a reasoned, organic and complete catalogue of treatises on these topics.

The digital archive has been conceived as a tool that can be implemented by members of the participating institutions, who can participate in updating the catalographic records, adding new volumes and proposing new tools for querying the database, according to an associative viewpoint of participation and sharing.

The involvement in the project of experts from two European universities enriches the Italian experience, increasing the possibility of collaboration at an international level.

The efforts of the UID research group, the scientific patronage of 7 italian departments of architecture, the advice of academics at European level and the involvement of public institutions allowed the establishment of a dinamyc and multidisciplinary research group.

The selection of taxonomies for the database starts from the elaboration of a shared multilingual glossary, which aims at the coherent use of historical terms related to the methods and applications. The database, organised according to precise ontological relations, is enriched by catalographic and bibliographical records, a record of re-editions and translations of each treatise, in accordance with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) governing the sharing of contents in the European and international context.

We believe that metodus.eu can become a place to support researchers and the scientific communities, according to the paradigm of data sharing, with the ambition of becoming the first European archive of treatises on representation methods and their applications.