Identifieraren

Identifieraren is a conceptual framework proposed to standardize universal identifiers for digital resources across heterogeneous systems. The term blends "identifier" with a suffix suggesting a mechanism or system. The central goal is to provide persistent, globally unique identifiers that remain stable while enabling reliable resolution to resource descriptions and metadata.

Overview: The framework envisions an identifier space, a set of resolvers, and metadata services. Each identifier consists of a namespace component and a resource locator or path, along with optional verification data. Resolvers translate identifiers into current access points or metadata records through registries, federations, or decentralized networks.

Design: Key principles include persistence, portability, and privacy controls. Identifiers should survive changes of hosting services and be portable across resolver networks. Metadata and cryptographic proofs may be provided to assert authenticity.

Lifecycle: Generation occurs in trusted environments; identifiers are registered with a resolver; resolution requests return endpoints or metadata; identifiers may be deprecated with sunset policies and revocation mechanisms.

Types of identifiers: Persistent identifiers intended for long-term stability; short-lived identifiers for ephemeral sessions; privacy-preserving tokens that minimize exposure of user attributes.

Use cases: Long-term digital archiving, scientific data management, cross-system data integration, content delivery networks, and federated identity scenarios.

Governance: Implementations may be managed by standards bodies or consortia; interoperability with existing URI and URI-based schemes is emphasized to ease adoption.

Criticism: Adoption hurdles include network complexity, governance fragmentation, and privacy implications of cross-system linking.

See also: URN, URI, DOI, UUID, DID.