A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a unique and permanent alphanumeric code assigned to a digital item, such as a scientific article or dataset. Unlike a standard URL (which can change or break over time), a DOI guarantees a stable and lasting Web address, facilitating bibliographic citations.
How It Works and Why It Matters
- Absolute Permanence: If the publisher moves the document to a new server or changes the website domain, the URL associated with the DOI is updated, but the DOI code itself remains unchanged.
- Struttura del codice: È composto da due parti, un prefisso (che identifica l’ente che assegna il codice, iniziando solitamente con
10.) e un suffisso (che identifica la specifica opera). Un esempio tipico è:10.1000/xyz123. (1, 2) - Metadata: Detailed information about the work (authors, publication date, journal issue, etc.) is linked to the code.
How to Use It
To access a document via its DOI, you can copy and paste it into an official resolver search tool, such as Crossref DOI Resolver or mEDRA, or convert it into a direct link by prepending https://doi.org