crossrefs

Crossrefs are references that connect content within a document and between documents. They point to sections, figures, tables, equations, or to external sources via persistent identifiers such as DOIs or URLs. By providing clickable paths, crossrefs improve navigation, context, and discoverability for readers and indexing systems.

In document preparation, cross-referencing is supported by tools and formats: LaTeX uses labels and the \ref command; Microsoft Word uses cross-reference fields; HTML uses anchors and hyperlinks. When citing external sources, persistent identifiers like DOIs enable stable linking across platforms, so a link to a DOI remains valid even if the publisher’s site structure changes.

Crossref is also the name of a non-profit organization that registers DOIs for scholarly content. Publishers deposit metadata and receive DOIs, which can be resolved to landing pages. Crossref provides services such as DOI resolution, metadata search, Crossmark for publication status, and event data that tracks citations and updates.

Best practices include using stable identifiers, verifying crossrefs after edits, and distinguishing internal references from external citations. Automated checks can detect broken crossrefs, and semantic linking can enhance machine readability for indexing and citation networks. Crossrefs thus play a central role in the integrity and navigability of scholarly writing.