Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs)

DOI DEFINITION

A DOI, or Digital Object Identifier, is a unique string of numbers and letters that permanently identifies an article, or other work, and links to it on the web. In short, a DOI is a permanent or persistent identifier. 

DOIs are intended to make information retrieval easier.

• DOIs identify with the content rather than a location. If the item changes location, the publisher is responsible for pointing the DOI to the new location. If this updating does not take place, you can end up with a dead DOI.

DOI FORMATS -- ACTIVE or INACTIVE

When you locate an article, the DOIs may be formatted as active or inactive.

An active DOI looks like a hyperlink.

• Example: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2012.09.012

• Example: https://doi.org/10.1080/03057079608708478

An inactive DOI omits https//doi.org/ and often starts with 10 (especially if assigned pre-2011).

• Example: DOI: 10.2307/1354482

• More sites are now using active DOIs. This used to be an inactive example from a JSTOR article.  

MAKE a DOI ACTIVE

Simply add http://doi.org/ OR http://dx.doi.org/ before the DOI number to make it active. 

RESOLVE a DOI

Have a DOI in the inactive format?  Visit https://www.doi.org/ and paste in the DOI number to locate the item associated with the DOI.

DOIs are NOT UNIVERSAL

Not all articles, or other information sources, have a DOI.

These are examples of articles where a DOI is available BUT it is not provided at the article's landing page.

• See an example in JSTOR.
• See an example in ProjectMuse.

INTRIGUED?

• The DOI Handbook provide more information, including the history, of the DOI system.