Articles

What is a DOI?

• A DOI (digital object identifier) is a persistent and unique alphanumeric string used to identify digital objects (i.e. an electronic journal article).
• Unlike a URL, the DOI does not designate the location of the digital object, so that if the object (an article, for example) moves or can be found in multiple locations, the DOI remains consistent.
• A DOI starts with the number 10, followed by a prefix of four or more digits (assigned to organizations), then a slash ( / ), ending with a suffix, which is assigned by the publisher. An example is:  10.1007/s10826-012-9600-6

How to Find an Article from a DOI

You can find an article by searching with the DOI in Google Scholar. Google Scholar will provide you with a citation of the article, then you can search for the article u sing the library catalogue.

Where to Find the DOI

The DOI may be found in some of the following places:

• In the citation information given with the article (usually on the first page)
• Database landing page for an article
• In the citation generated by a database
• Online using www.crossref.org

Not all articles have a DOI number. If your article does not have a DOI number, use the URL of the journal's homepage (not the database retrieval site).

Note the correct format for the DOI number: doi:xxxxxxxx (lowercase letters, no space following the colon, no period afterwards).

If you have a DOI number, you do not need a URL or other retrieval locations for your URL.