Chapter 29 - Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the Digital Object Identifier (DOI), which identifies content objects on the Internet. DOI codes are assigned to any entity for use on digital networks and they are used to provide current information, including where they can be found on the Internet. Information about a digital object may change over time, including where to find it, but its DOI name never changes. The International DOI Foundation, which is an open membership consortium including both commercial and noncommercial partners, is trying to become an ISO Standard. The DOI name syntax is an NISO standard and Z39.84-2005 DOIs are persistent, as defined in IETF RFC 1737. The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a 13-digit code used for books, which were originally 10 digits and applied to just physical books. When they were expanded to 13 digits, they became part of the UPC/EAN barcode system and expanded to eBooks, software, mixed media, or pretty much anything sold in bookstores. The ISBN-A (the actionable ISBN) is an ISBN embedded into the DOI system that enables a book to be tracked in digital formats on networks. Publishers' internal systems and bibliographic agency databases still use the ISBN as the key identifier. An ISBN-A is not automatically created for every ISBN, but has to be registered with the appropriate DOI agency.