information infrastructure · BEGINNER LESSON
DOI
A Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is a compact, persistent identifier for a digital object. It is used to point to the current registered location of that object and can support redirection to metadata or access links.
What a DOI is
A DOI, short for Digital Object Identifier, is a Uniform Resource Name (URN), which means it is a name meant to identify something rather than directly describe where it lives. In practice, a DOI is a short string assigned to a digital object such as a journal article, book, dataset, or other publication. Its main job is to give that object a unique and persistent identifier that can still work after the object moves to a new web location.
[1] The What and Whys of DOIs - PMC - NIH [2] Digital Object Identifiers (DOI)
How it works
The DOI system works through registration and resolution. A registrant deposits the DOI together with the object’s current location in a registry and updates that location when needed. A resolver, using the Handle System, looks up the DOI and sends the user to the current location. This is why a DOI can keep working even when a website address changes. The system can also store metadata, which is information that describes the object, such as title, format, or where copies are available.
[1] The What and Whys of DOIs - PMC - NIH [2] Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) [3] bioGUID: resolving, discovering, and minting identifiers for biodiversity informatics
Why DOIs are useful
The main benefit of a DOI over an ordinary URL, which is the web address of a resource, is persistence. A URL can change when a file moves, but the DOI can stay the same. That makes DOIs useful for citations, because a reader can still find the object later. DOIs are also used for reliable attribution, and some systems support multiple resolution, meaning one DOI can lead to different formats or locations depending on what is available or preferred.
[1] The What and Whys of DOIs - PMC - NIH [2] Digital Object Identifiers (DOI)
Limits and scope
A DOI is not the object itself; it is an identifier that depends on registry records being kept up to date. Its usefulness depends on the publisher or registrant maintaining the link between the DOI and the current location. The sources also note that DOI use is common for scholarly articles and other publications, but broader uses, such as identifying every separate piece of an article or multiple data types, are special practices rather than the basic default.
[1] The What and Whys of DOIs - PMC - NIH [2] Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) [3] bioGUID: resolving, discovering, and minting identifiers for biodiversity informatics
SEE THE IDEA
How a DOI resolves to an object
A unique name assigned to the digital object
Stores the DOI, metadata, and current location
Uses the Handle System to look up the record
The web address or access point the user is sent to
The DOI points to registry information, and the resolver uses that information to send the user to the current location of the object.
A DOI stays stable while the registered location can change, so the identifier can keep working across moves.
TRY IT YOURSELF
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Sources and further reading
This general lesson was generated from public source material. It explains a concept; it does not interpret a private paper or provide medical advice.