DOI (digital object identifier)

Last updated on Feb 19, 2026

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Definition: Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) are alpha-numeric strings that can be assigned to any entity, including: publications (including preprints), materials, datasets, and feature films - the use of DOIs is not restricted to just scholarly or academic material. There are many different DOI registration agencies that operate DOIs, but the two that researchers would most likely encounter are Crossref and Datacite.

Related terms: arXiv and BibTex, Crossref, Datacite, ISBN, ISO, ORCID, Permalink

References:

Bilder, G. (2013). DOIs unambiguously and persistently identify published, trustworthy, citable online scholarly literature. Right? https://www.crossref.org/blog/dois-unambiguously-and-persistently-identify-published-trustworthy-citable-online-scholarly-literature-right/
Morgan, C. (1998). The DOI (Digital Object Identifier). Serials, 11(1), 47–51. http://doi.org/10.1629/1147
Anon. (2019). The DOI Handbook.

Drafted and Reviewed by: Tina Lonsdorf, Ashley Blake, Helena Hartmann, Sam Parsons, Charlotte R. Pennington, Flávio Azevedo