diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/resources/org/dspace/storage/rdbms/sqlmigration/h2/V7.6_2025.10.15__Description_UseMarkdown.sql b/dspace-api/src/main/resources/org/dspace/storage/rdbms/sqlmigration/h2/V7.6_2025.10.15__Description_UseMarkdown.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a3c300c69a9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/resources/org/dspace/storage/rdbms/sqlmigration/h2/V7.6_2025.10.15__Description_UseMarkdown.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+--
+-- The contents of this file are subject to the license and copyright
+-- detailed in the LICENSE and NOTICE files at the root of the source
+-- tree and available online at
+--
+-- http://www.dspace.org/license/
+--
+
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+-- create new local.description.usemarkdown metadata property (if not exist)
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+INSERT INTO metadatafieldregistry (metadata_field_id, metadata_schema_id, element, qualifier, scope_note)
+SELECT nextval('metadatafieldregistry_seq'), msr.metadata_schema_id, 'description', 'usemarkdown',
+ 'true when dc.description metadata value should be rendered as Markdown formatted text'
+FROM metadataschemaregistry msr WHERE msr.short_id='local'
+ AND NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 from metadatafieldregistry mfr WHERE mfr.element='description' AND mfr.qualifier='usemarkdown');
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/resources/org/dspace/storage/rdbms/sqlmigration/postgres/V7.6_2025.10.15__Description_UseMarkdown.sql b/dspace-api/src/main/resources/org/dspace/storage/rdbms/sqlmigration/postgres/V7.6_2025.10.15__Description_UseMarkdown.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a3c300c69a9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/resources/org/dspace/storage/rdbms/sqlmigration/postgres/V7.6_2025.10.15__Description_UseMarkdown.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+--
+-- The contents of this file are subject to the license and copyright
+-- detailed in the LICENSE and NOTICE files at the root of the source
+-- tree and available online at
+--
+-- http://www.dspace.org/license/
+--
+
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+-- create new local.description.usemarkdown metadata property (if not exist)
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+INSERT INTO metadatafieldregistry (metadata_field_id, metadata_schema_id, element, qualifier, scope_note)
+SELECT nextval('metadatafieldregistry_seq'), msr.metadata_schema_id, 'description', 'usemarkdown',
+ 'true when dc.description metadata value should be rendered as Markdown formatted text'
+FROM metadataschemaregistry msr WHERE msr.short_id='local'
+ AND NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 from metadatafieldregistry mfr WHERE mfr.element='description' AND mfr.qualifier='usemarkdown');
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/content/LocalMetadataTest.java b/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/content/LocalMetadataTest.java
index 51d543c90074..a9c0cd719a73 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/content/LocalMetadataTest.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/content/LocalMetadataTest.java
@@ -95,4 +95,13 @@ public void existsHidden() throws Exception {
MetadataField field = metadataFieldService.findByString(context, "local.hidden", '.');
assertThat("existsHidden 0", field, notNullValue());
}
+
+ /**
+ * Test if `local.description.usemarkdown` exists
+ */
+ @Test
+ public void existsDescriptionUseMarkdown() throws Exception {
+ MetadataField field = metadataFieldService.findByString(context, "local.description.usemarkdown", '.');
+ assertThat(field, notNullValue());
+ }
}
diff --git a/dspace/config/registries/local-types.xml b/dspace/config/registries/local-types.xml
index e05977c5cd26..46557cb72ea5 100644
--- a/dspace/config/registries/local-types.xml
+++ b/dspace/config/registries/local-types.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
- An empty registry for instance-specific, local metadata. Any non-standard
- metadata fields should be added here to avoid polluting the standard
- namespaces.
- -
+ -
-->
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
hasCMDIIndicates uploaded cmdi file
-
+
localcontact
@@ -159,4 +159,11 @@
Count of files in the item
+
+ local
+ description
+ usemarkdown
+ true when dc.description metadata value should be rendered as Markdown formatted text
+
+
diff --git a/dspace/config/submission-forms.xml b/dspace/config/submission-forms.xml
index db4cf1fa9ef2..3a1d97a7889d 100644
--- a/dspace/config/submission-forms.xml
+++ b/dspace/config/submission-forms.xml
@@ -239,10 +239,21 @@
falsetextarea
- Enter a description of the submitted data.
+ Enter a description of the submitted data. Also, the Markdown format can be used to format text in the description (see: https://www.markdownguide.org/).Please give us a description
+
+
+ local
+ description
+ usemarkdown
+ true
+
+ list
+
+
+ dc
@@ -3211,6 +3222,13 @@
+
+
+ Yes
+ yes
+
+
+