Introduction to Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- DOI is a persistent identifier used to uniquely identify various objects.
- It is standardised by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
- DOIs are widely used to identify academic, professional, and government information.
- They are used for journal articles, research reports, data sets, and official publications.
- DOIs can also identify commercial videos and other types of information resources.
Nomenclature and Syntax of DOIs
- A DOI consists of a prefix and a suffix, separated by a slash.
- The prefix identifies the registrant and the suffix identifies the specific object.
- Most legal Unicode characters are allowed in DOI strings.
- The prefix usually takes the form '10.NNNN' where NNNN is a number.
- The prefix may be further subdivided with periods, like '10.NNNN.N'.
Display and Resolution of DOIs
- The official DOI Handbook recommends displaying DOIs as 'doi:10.1000/182'.
- CrossRef, a major DOI registration agency, recommends displaying a URL instead.
- The URL format is 'https://doi.org/10.1000/182'.
- This URL is persistent and redirects to the correct online location of the linked item.
- The entire URL is displayed to facilitate copying and pasting.
- DOI name resolution is provided through the Handle System, developed by the Corporation for National Research Initiatives.
- DOI resolution redirects the user to URLs, services, or metadata associated with the DOI name.
- DOI names are resolved using DOI resolvers such as doi.org or by including the DOI as a URL in a document.
- HTTP proxies can be used to avoid typing or cutting-and-pasting into a resolver.
- Alternative DOI resolvers, such as doai.io and oadoi.org, provide additional functionalities.
Content Covered by the DOI System
- The DOI system covers scholarly materials such as journal articles and books.
- It also includes research datasets and European Union official publications.
- Chinese and Taiwanese electronic academic journals are covered by the DOI system.
- Permanent global identifiers are assigned to audio/visual content titles.
- OECD iLibrary uses DOIs for tables and graphs in their publications.
Features, Benefits, and Standardization of the DOI System
- DOIs provide persistent identification of objects.
- They associate metadata with objects, providing relevant information to users.
- DOI names can be resolved to web locations where the objects can be found.
- The DOI system combines the Handle System and the indecs Content Model.
- The system has a social infrastructure to achieve its goals.
- DOI names identify the object itself as a first-class entity, unlike URLs which identify the specific location of the object.
- The primary purpose of the DOI system is to make a collection of identifiers actionable and interoperable.
- DOI system offers persistent, semantically interoperable resolution to related current data.
- Other identifier systems may lack the functionality of a registry-controlled scheme and accompanying metadata.
- DOI names are similar to URNs and PURLs, but differ from ordinary URLs.
- The International DOI Foundation (IDF) is a non-profit organization that governs the DOI system.
- IDF safeguards intellectual property rights related to the DOI system and manages common operational features.
- The IDF supports the development and promotion of the DOI system.
- Improvements made to the DOI system are available to any DOI registrant.
- The IDF ensures the creation, maintenance, registration, resolution, and policymaking of DOI names.
- The DOI system is an international standard developed by ISO.
- ISO/DIS 26324 met ISO requirements for approval.
- Final standard was published on April 23, 2012.
- DOI is a registered URI under the info URI scheme.
- DOI syntax is a NISO standard.
- Registration agencies allocate DOI prefixes and register DOI names.
- They provide infrastructure for registrants to declare and maintain metadata.
- Registration agencies actively promote widespread adoption of DOI system.
- They cooperate with IDF in developing the DOI system.
- List of current RAs is maintained by the International DOI Foundation.
- Registration agencies generally charge a fee to assign a new DOI name.
- Parts of these fees are used to support the IDF.
- DOI system operates on a not-for-profit cost recovery basis.
- IDF is recognised as one of the federated registrars for the Handle System.
- IDF is responsible for assigning Handle System prefixes.
- The DOI system continues to evolve and adapt to changing needs.
- Efforts are underway to improve the resolution and linking of DOIs.
- New technologies like blockchain are being explored for DOI registration.
- The use of DOIs is expanding beyond traditional scholarly content.
- The IDF and registration agencies are actively involved in advancing the DOI system.
A digital object identifier (DOI) is a persistent identifier or handle used to uniquely identify various objects, standardised by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). DOIs are an implementation of the Handle System; they also fit within the URI system (Uniform Resource Identifier). They are widely used to identify academic, professional, and government information, such as journal articles, research reports, data sets, and official publications. DOIs have also been used to identify other types of information resources, like commercial videos.[not verified in body]
 | |
| Full name | Digital object identifier |
|---|---|
| Acronym | DOI |
| Organisation | International DOI Foundation |
| Introduced | 2000 |
| Example | 10.1000/182 |
| Website | www |
A DOI aims to resolve to its target, the information object to which the DOI refers. This is achieved by binding the DOI to metadata about the object, such as a URL where the object is located. Thus, by being actionable and interoperable, a DOI differs from ISBNs or ISRCs which are identifiers only. The DOI system uses the indecs Content Model for representing metadata.
The DOI for a document remains fixed over the lifetime of the document, whereas its location and other metadata may change. Referring to an online document by its DOI should provide a more stable link than directly using its URL. But if its URL changes, the publisher must update the metadata for the DOI to maintain the link to the URL. It is the publisher's responsibility to update the DOI database. If they fail to do so, the DOI resolves to a dead link, leaving the DOI useless.
The developer and administrator of the DOI system is the International DOI Foundation (IDF), which introduced it in 2000. Organizations that meet the contractual obligations of the DOI system and are willing to pay to become a member of the system can assign DOIs. The DOI system is implemented through a federation of registration agencies coordinated by the IDF. By late April 2011 more than 50 million DOI names had been assigned by some 4,000 organizations, and by April 2013 this number had grown to 85 million DOI names assigned through 9,500 organizations.
