perusURLin

perusURLin is a metadata framework and resolver protocol for perusal URLs—web addresses used for scholarly access and citation. It pairs a URL with contextual data such as resource identifier, version, expiration, provenance, and access state to support stable, reproducible references to online materials.

Origin and scope: The name combines "perusal" and "URL," with the "-in" suffix denoting a protocol. It aims to standardize how online resources are described and resolved within library, archival, and research workflows.

History: Proposed by librarians, digital humanists, and computer scientists in the early 2010s to address link rot, perusURLin has seen pilot deployments in several university libraries and digital repositories. It remains experimental and not widely adopted.

Architecture: A perusURLin entry includes fields such as resourceID, originalURL, currentURL, version, expiration, accessPolicy, license, timestamp, and resolverEndpoint. It favors interoperable formats (JSON-LD or RDF) and exposes a resolver service that returns current location and metadata while enforcing access controls.

Implementation and use: Bibliographic records and footnotes can embed perusURLin identifiers. Repositories publish perusURLin data; libraries run resolvers to provide up-to-date links, provenance, and access information, supporting reproducibility and long-term access planning.

Reception and status: Advocates cite reduced link rot and clearer provenance; critics highlight added complexity, governance requirements, and the need for broad standards. No universal standard has emerged, though ongoing pilots explore interoperability.

See also: persistent identifiers, DOI, ARK, URL, link rot, bibliographic metadata standards.