Explainer · Plain-language
What is a DOI?
A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a persistent identifier for a digital object — most often a journal article, dataset, or software release. A DOI resolves through doi.org to the object's current location and is the standard way to cite research outputs reliably.
The step most authors miss
Doing CRediT right? Don’t stop at the statement.
A CRediT statement credits you inside one paper. The recognition CRediT was built for happens when those roles are tied to you, persistently. Sign in with your ORCID — free — and claim your CRediT contributions on casrai.org, the home of the standard. They become a verified, portable part of your identity, not a line that disappears into one PDF.
Free: claim your contributions, then export a journal-ready CRediT statement, schema.org structured data, JATS XML, CSV or BibTeX — and preview your public profile. A membership publishes that profile publicly and verifies the journals you serve.
Anatomy of a DOI
A DOI has a prefix and a suffix separated by a slash — for example 10.1234/abc.123. The prefix (always starting "10.") identifies the registrant; the suffix is assigned by the registrant and identifies the specific object. Prefixed with the resolver, https://doi.org/10.1234/abc.123 takes a reader to the current landing page.
Registration agencies
DOIs are minted by accredited Registration Agencies under the International DOI Foundation. Crossref is the main agency for journal articles, books, and conference proceedings; DataCite is the main agency for datasets, software, and other research data. Other agencies (mEDRA, ISTIC, and more) serve specific communities.
Built on the Handle System
The DOI system is built on top of the Handle System, so every DOI is technically a Handle with an added governance and metadata layer. This is what guarantees persistent resolution: the registrant updates the target URL in the resolver while the DOI itself never changes.
Why DOIs matter for citation
Because a DOI is stable and carries structured metadata, it enables reliable citation, citation-graph services (Crossref Cited-by, OpenAlex), and links between outputs and their authors' ORCID iDs and institutions' ROR iDs. Most funders and journals now require a DOI for cited works and deposited datasets.
Key facts
At a glance
- Full name: Digital Object Identifier
- Standard: ISO 26324:2022
- Governance: International DOI Foundation
- Resolver: https://doi.org/
- Main agencies: Crossref (articles), DataCite (data + software)
- Built on: the Handle System
Common misconceptions
What people often get wrong
Often heard: A DOI is just a permanent web link.
Actually: No — a DOI is an identifier resolved by doi.org. The resolver redirects to the current URL, so the DOI stays the same even if the article moves.
Often heard: Researchers must pay to get a DOI.
Actually: No — the registering organisation (publisher or repository) pays the registration fee; individual researchers are not charged.
Going deeper
