DOIstä

DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier. It is a persistent identifier, meaning it is a unique and permanent link to an electronic document. DOIs are used to identify and locate a variety of digital resources, including journal articles, books, datasets, and software. The DOI system is managed by the International DOI Foundation (IDF).

The purpose of a DOI is to provide a stable and reliable way to refer to digital content, even if the location of that content changes over time. When a DOI is registered, it is linked to the current URL of the resource. If the resource is moved to a new URL, the DOI record can be updated to reflect the new location, ensuring that the link remains valid.

DOIs are typically alphanumeric strings that follow a specific format. They consist of a prefix and a suffix, separated by a slash. The prefix identifies the registrant (e.g., a publisher or a repository), and the suffix is unique to the specific digital object. For example, in the DOI 10.1000/xyz123, "10.1000" is the prefix and "xyz123" is the suffix.

The DOI system is widely used in academic publishing and research. It helps researchers to easily find and cite published works, and it enables publishers to track the usage and impact of their content. Services like Crossref and DataCite are major DOI registration agencies that facilitate the assignment of DOIs to scholarly publications and research data.