gtitul

Gtitul is a hypothetical identifier concept used in discussions of metadata interoperability and persistent identification. In its proposed form, gtitul would provide a global, persistent identifier for bibliographic items, digital objects, and related resources, intended to complement existing schemes such as DOIs, ISBNs, and ISNIs in certain workflows. The concept is used primarily in theoretical exercises, teaching materials, and speculative design rather than as a deployed standard.

Format and syntax are designed to emphasize readability and hierarchical organization. A gtitul string would begin with the prefix gtitul:, followed by segments for domain or namespace, object type, repository or authority, and a local identifier, with optional versioning and qualifiers. An illustrative form might be gtitul:library/book/AcmePress/2024/0123456789 or gtitul:domain:object-type:publisher:year:id:version.

Status and governance are intentionally provisional. Gtitul has no formal governing body and has not been adopted in production systems. Proponents cite potential benefits for cross-domain interoperability and human-readable structure, while critics point to the need for governance, authority provisioning, and the risk of fragmentation without an accepted standard.

Etymology is that gtitul is a constructed label used in these discussions; it is not tied to a specific language or organization.

See also: DOI, ISBN, ISNI, ORCID, ARK, Handle System.