What is DOI
DOI is a persistent digital identifier for an article, book, chapter, dataset, or other scholarly material. It is used for accurate discovery, verification, and citation.
In detail
DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier. It is a persistent identifier of an object that remains with it even if the publisher’s website or publication link changes.
Example DOI
10.1000/182
A DOI link looks like this
https://doi.org/10.1000/182Main advantages of DOI
- it is unique;
- it is persistent;
- it facilitates discovery of the publication;
- it is used in scholarly references and bibliographic systems.
DOI is especially important for correct citation. Even if the publisher moves the article to another address, the DOI should continue to lead to the current version of the record.
However, there is an important clarification: DOI does not mean indexing. If an article has a DOI, that does not mean it is automatically included in Scopus, Web of Science, or another international database. DOI is an object identifier, not confirmation of journal status.
What is important to remember
DOI is a persistent address of a scholarly object, but not a quality mark or a guarantee of indexing.