(1) Overview
Repository location
Context
Resources for sign language and interpreting are widely available online but are fragmented across institutions, projects, and sectors, leading to duplication of effort and inconsistent categorization. While such fragmentation is not unusual in practice-based fields, it limits the discoverability of resources and contributes to uneven access, making it more difficult for users to locate, share, and reuse relevant materials. Research in sign language and interpreting has repeatedly documented challenges related to the dispersion, accessibility, and reuse of instructional and research resources, particularly when materials are distributed across independent platforms or project-specific repositories (Johnston, 2010; Crasborn & Zwitserlood, 2008; Kopf et al., 2022). These conditions hinder efficient knowledge sharing and contribute to disparities in access across educational and professional contexts.
Digital repositories have emerged as an infrastructure for addressing these challenges by supporting the organization, visibility, and reuse of scholarly and instructional materials. Prior research has described digital repositories as a mechanism for democratizing scholarly output by expanding access and supporting openness across academic communities (Avital, 2024; Vrana, 2011). In addition, repository design research emphasizes the role of standardized organizational frameworks and metadata practices in supporting discoverability and reuse (Arlitsch & Grant, 2018). Within sign language research and education, discipline-specific infrastructures such as sign language corpora (Crasborn & Zwitserlood, 2008; Johnston, 2010; Hanke et al., 2010) and lexical databases (Fenlon et al., 2015; Kezar et al., 2023; Sehyr et al., 2021) have demonstrated how centralized, structured repositories can improve access to specialized language resources and support reuse across research and practice communities.
InterpNET was developed in response to these documented challenges as a centralized, open-access digital repository for resources related to sign language and interpretation. Established at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), InterpNET is designed to collect, vet, categorize systematically, and index open-access tools, training materials, and scholarly outputs relevant to interpreter education and practice. While the repository primarily reflects resources related to American Sign Language (ASL) and interpreter education in the United States, it also includes materials addressing other signed languages and international contexts when they are openly accessible and applicable to interpreting-related work.
InterpNET’s design operationalizes principles identified in the digital repository literature by prioritizing discoverability, consistency, and usability. Research on digital repository design emphasizes the role of centralized indexing and standardized metadata in supporting consistent categorization, search, and retrieval (Arlitsch & Grant, 2018). InterpNET reflects these design principles in its organization of sign language and interpreting resources. Research on digital repositories has demonstrated that aggregating materials dispersed across platforms can improve visibility and access for educators, students, practitioners, and researchers through centralized, open-access interfaces (Dote Pardo, 2026; Marsh, 2015). InterpNET reflects this approach by organizing sign language and interpreting resources within a single, curated repository.
The repository is maintained through a combination of systematic search processes and community contributions. Resources are identified through structured online searches and voluntary submissions, and all entries are reviewed by the project team before inclusion to ensure relevance, accessibility, and alignment with repository criteria.
InterpNET also responds to long-standing calls within interpreter education for more open, shared instructional infrastructure. Prior scholarship has emphasized the scarcity and fragmentation of accessible teaching materials and has advocated open educational practices to improve consistency, usability, and accessibility in interpreter education (Muroski, 2025). Related work has further highlighted the importance of shared professional knowledge and accessible instructional supports in preparing interpreters for educational and community-based settings (Cokely, 2005; Winston, 2005; Rosen, 2008). Its contribution lies not only in the breadth of materials it contains, but in the infrastructure it provides to make those materials findable, usable, and reusable, offering a replicable model of digital curation for other practice-based fields.
(2) Method
Steps
The website collection and categorization process followed a structured, multi-step approach designed to ensure both systematic coverage and cultural appropriateness. The author and lead developer established initial thematic categories to guide early data collection. Targeted internet searches were then conducted using known entities, including accredited U.S. educational programs, national organizations, and Deaf content creators, and the identified websites were cataloged in a master spreadsheet within these predefined categories.
Broader exploratory searches using terminology related to sign language, interpreting, and Deaf education subsequently identified additional websites. A subset of these resources did not align cleanly with the initial category framework and were temporarily designated as overflow. A Deaf librarian was then consulted to review the initial categories, assess the placement of overflow resources, and refine the overall category structure. Following this consultation, overflow resources were reassigned to appropriate existing categories, and the librarian reviewed all categories and resource assignments to ensure consistency, relevance, and cultural appropriateness.
The final step involved a state-by-state search to identify resources specific to U.S. states and territories. Relevant links were cross-listed so that they appear both within their primary thematic category and under their affiliated geographic location, allowing users to locate resources by topic or region. These cross-listed links are documented in Supplementary File A.
Once all links were verified for accuracy, the dataset was flattened into a single spreadsheet with standardized metadata fields to support export and integration into the Drupal-based digital platform. Resources were entered into a database that links related categories and applies consistent metadata across all entries.
Sampling Strategy
The dataset was constructed using purposive and emergent sampling approaches. Initial research focused on known, high-credibility sources, including accredited programs, national organizations, and established Deaf content creators. Exploratory searches expanded coverage by identifying additional resources through broader terminology related to sign language, interpreting, and Deaf education. Resources that emerged outside the initial category framework informed iterative refinement of the category structure rather than exclusion.
Quality Control
The core team, consisting of the lead author/developer, three student research assistants, and a Deaf librarian, reviewed each website individually to verify legitimacy and cultural alignment. Review criteria included confirmation of Deaf identity or involvement for ASL instructors and media creators, alignment with Deaf community norms, and verification of professional standing for interpreter-related resources (e.g., certification status or institutional affiliation). When determinations were not immediately clear, edge cases were discussed collaboratively and resolved by consensus, with particular attention to guidance from the Deaf librarian.
Entries were reviewed and updated to ensure link integrity and description accuracy. Although web-based resources may change or become inactive over time, periodic review and updating are part of the repository’s ongoing maintenance.
Data Curation and Metadata Design
The metadata schema includes the main category, subcategory, resource title, description, resource URL, resource type, and geographic location. Subcategories were used to organize large thematic areas into more specific topical groupings, allowing users to navigate the dataset with greater precision and supporting more targeted reuse. Geographic location refers to U.S. states or territories with which a resource is explicitly affiliated or intended to serve, rather than the physical location of the creator.
Table 1 summarizes the dataset attributes. For more detailed information on the dataset structure and fields, see Supplementary Files B1 and B2.
Table 1
List of Attributes Included in the Dataset.
| ATTRIBUTE | NUMBER/COUNT | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
| Main Categories | 5 | General Curated Content Categories in Deaf culture, interpreting, and U.S. state-specific access. |
| Subcategories | 92 | Topical collections offering deeper insight into specific communities, contexts, tools, and publications within the Deaf and interpreting fields. |
| Resource Types | 3 | Websites, Videos, Social Media Sites |
| Individual Resources | 4506 | URLs |
For more detailed information on the dataset structure and fields, see Supplementary File B.
(3) Dataset Description
Repository name
Zenodo
Object name
interpnet-entries.csv
Format names and versions
Web-based (HTML/JSON structure); downloadable .CSV metadata.
Creation dates
2023-01-01 to present (ongoing).
Dataset creators
Kierstin Muroski (conceptualization, data curation, methodology, investigation, supervision); Joan Naturale (data curation); Christina Wrynn (resources, data curation); Lyn Eaton (resources, data curation); Jaide Winant (resources, data curation). Additional contributors supported software development, visualization, and platform infrastructure and are acknowledged separately.
Language
Primarily English and American Sign Language (ASL) resource.
License
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
Publication date
2025-11-12
(4) Reuse Potential
InterpNET supports reuse across multiple domains, including curriculum development, professional training, grant writing, and scholarly research, by providing a centralized, curated collection of openly accessible sign language interpreting resources. In academic settings, instructors can draw on the categorized resources to design syllabi, develop course activities, and identify supplementary learning materials aligned with specific content areas. The repository has also supported student research and instructional planning by streamlining access to field-specific materials that are otherwise dispersed across the web.
Researchers may reuse the dataset metadata to examine patterns in resource types, topical coverage, and geographic distribution, enabling descriptive analyses of how publicly available resources are organized within the field. In addition, the dataset can inform discussions on access and resource distribution by making visible resource concentrations across topics and regions, without implying causality or completeness.
Beyond direct reuse of the content, InterpNET provides a replicable model for building low-cost digital repositories in other practice-based disciplines using open-source tools and collaborative curation processes. Future work may include interactive features, expanded language representation, and API-based integration into interpreter training platforms; however, these enhancements are not part of the current dataset.
Additional File
The additional file for this article can be found as follows:
Acknowledgements
The author thanks the individuals who supported software development, visualization, platform infrastructure, and related technical contributions to the InterpNET project, including Rebekah Walker, Kirk Anne, Hanul Morgan, Erich Snell, Misha Szende, Sunil Sharma, and Stephen Jacobs. Their work played an important role in enabling the platform that made the dataset accessible.
Competing Interests
The author has no competing interests to declare.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Project administration, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.