doi numbers
Q. What is a digital object identifier?
A. A digital object identifier (doi) is an identifier string (combination of numbers and letters) that can be assigned to an item of editorial content and that provides a unique identifier for that item. The doi system is administered by the International doi Foundation, a not-for-profit organization, with the aim of providing a common format for cross-linking of electronic content from different publishers. The doi search system for the doi is maintained by CrossRef, a not-for-profit organization whose aim is to enable the ongoing usage of doi as a reference linking standard. Nature Publishing Group is a founding member and board member of CrossRef.
Q. What do the numbers in the doi signify?
A. The doi has two components, a prefix (before the slash) and a suffix (after the slash). The prefix is composed of a server identifier (10) and a unique identifier assigned to a particular publisher — for example, the identifier for the Nature Publishing Group is 1038. Therefore the entire doi prefix for an article published by the Nature Publishing Group is 10.1038. The suffix is an arbitrary number provided by the publisher. It can be composed of numbers and/or letters. It does not necessarily have any systematic significance — for instance, it does not automatically indicate the page number or the date of publication. Each doi is registered in a central resolution database that associates it with one or more corresponding web locations (URLs). For example, the doi 10.1038/ncponc0024 connects to http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncponc0024.
Q. What is CrossRef?
A. CrossRef is a not-for-profit organization that develops and maintains a system to assist in the linking of published papers based on their dois.
Q. How can I use a doi to find a paper?
A. There are two ways to use a doi to find a paper:
1. dois from other articles can be embedded into the linking coding of an article's reference section. In Nature Clinical Practice journals these appear as "|Article|" in the reference section of the online journal. When |Article| is clicked it opens another browser window and takes you to the entrance page (often the abstract) for that article. Depending on the source of the article, this page can be on the Nature Publishing Group site or a site of another publisher. This service is enabled by CrossRef.
2. If you know a doi, you can insert it directly into your browser's location bar as follows. For the DOI 10.1038/ncponc0024, you would have to type http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncponc0024. This will bring you to the entrance page of the desired article.
Q. Does Medline use dois?
A. Medline currently captures dois along with online publication dates in its records and is working on enhancing its level of support for the doi system.
Q. Does The Institute for Scientific Information (the 'Impact factor people') use dois?
A. The Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) currently captures dois in their records. However, the doi is recorded at the same time as the volume/issue/page number. Therefore, it is not using the doi to capture information prior to print publication, but rather recording it simply as an additional piece of information to complete its records.
