A digital
object identifier (DOI) is both an identifier (like the ISBN) and a new type of
hyperlink on the Internet.
What does the DOI do as an identifier?
As an identifier it provides the some of the same benefits as
the ISBN -- in fact the ISBN itself can be used as the suffix of the DOI,
especially where the DOI is for a book at the title level. But the benefits of
the DOI extend beyond the physical book at the title level -- e.g. it can
include all the different formats of the book (print, audio, HTML, PDF, e-Book)
and also individual chapters, illustrations or other "components." It can also
facilitate supply-chain interactions in the online environment because of its
dual role as both identifier and actual hyperlink (see next item).
What does the DOI do as a new kind of hyperlink?
As a hyperlink, the DOI is "The Next-Generation URL" --
surpassing today's URL in functionality although it is backward-compatible with
today's URL (so users don't need anything to use it beyond their current
browser). It surpasses today's URL in several respects:
1. Instead of being just a single link to a single page on the Web, the
DOI can display a menu taking the user to ALL places on the Web that the
publisher wants the user to reach: additional info about the book, where to buy
the book, all other books from that publisher on the same subject or by the same
author, etc.
2. Whereas a URL link "breaks" whenever the destination page is moved,
taken down or reorganized because of a website redesign, the DOI can be
re-pointed via a central routing record so that it points to the new, correct
location. For this reason, DOI links never "break" as long as the publisher or
Bowker keeps the central routing record up to date.
3. For this same reason, a DOI link always displays the most current
information about the book.
Who is using the DOI today?
Many major publishers have already adopted the DOI:
McGraw-Hill, Thomson, Harvard Business School Publishing, RAND,
and many others.
What are the benefits of using the DOI?
In addition to the new functionality the DOI gives you (see
"What does the DOI do as a new kind of hyperlink?" above), the DOI may give you
the following benefits:
Improved discoverability of your book information
Reduced website maintenance costs
Faster/easier/wider syndication/distribution of your
books and other marketing info
Ability to bundle and package your content in new,
flexible ways
Ability to sell content in more "granular" forms --
individual chapters, travel guide sections, recipes, illustrations, tables,
data sets, etc.
What is the format of the DOI?
Every DOI consists of a publisher prefix (assigned by Bowker),
then a slash ("/"), and then a suffix which is typically the ISBN itself but can
actually be any combination of numbers and letters of any length.
When used as a hyperlink, the DOI number is also preceded
by "http://dx.doi.org/".
Does the DOI have any meaning embedded in the numbers?
No! In fact the DOI's flexibility lies in the fact that it is a "dumb"
number; it can then be used to denote all kinds of "objects" for which no
standard numbering scheme exists: individual chapters, illustrations, prefaces,
tables, etc.
In the case of a whole book at the title level the ISBN is
used as the suffix, but the DOI can be used to identify and link to any kind of
"object" and any level of "granularity." It is already being used (in addition
to books) to identify "objects" as diverse as images, online courses, business
school case studies, articles, etc.
Who assigns a DOI?
DOIs are assigned by DOI registration agencies worldwide coordinated by the
International DOI Foundation. DOIs are
assigned in the United States by R.R. Bowker,
among other registered agencies.
Who is eligible for a DOI?
Bowker assigns DOI prefixes at the direct request of publishers, authors,
e-book publishers, audio cassette and video producers, software producers or any
other entity that publishes intellectual property for commercial distribution.
There is a one-time setup fee and annual maintenance fees to create and
maintain DOIs. The fees vary according to the level of service the publisher
selects.
What do I do when I receive the DOI and where do I use it?
A DOI can be assigned to each title or item including any backlist or
forthcoming titles. Once assigned, a DOI can never be reused.
You should print the DOI in its full hyperlink form, for
example: http://dx.doi.org/10.1036/0071362940 on the lower portion of the back
cover of a book above the DOI and on the copyright page.
Most importantly, you should post the DOI as a hyperlink
everywhere the product is mentioned on your website, and encourage others to do
so on their own websites as well (authors, reviewers, retailers, etc.) The DOI
number itself need not be displayed, e.g."http://dx.doi.org/10.1036/0071362940"
-- instead you can "hide" the DOI (just as any other hyperlink) behind the title
of the book, the image of the book cover, etc.
How and where do I register my DOI?
A DOI is assigned to a specific title or item by the publisher who reports
the metadata associated with it to Bowker for registration in the Handle
System.
For metadata submission information, email
doi@bowker.com.
Can a publisher have both a DOI and an ISBN, or both a DOI
and an ISSN?
Yes -- the idea is that every
existing identifier, whether ISBN or ISSN, should also be registered as a DOI so
that it becomes an active hyperlink on the Internet.
The DOI was invented by the primary creator of the Internet itself, Dr.
Robert Kahn and his non-profit, federally-funded research organization (the
Corporation for National Research Initiatives, or CNRI). Dr. Kahn was the
co-inventor of TCP/IP, built the ARPAnet which became the Internet, and was
awarded the National Medal of Technology along with Vint Cerf for having
pioneered the Internet.
The DOI system was then
adopted by the Publishing Industry via the AAP and other industry organizations
along with the major scientific, technical, and medical journal publishers such
as Wiley, Elsevier, and Kluwer among others. The International DOI Foundation was created in 1998 as a non-profit policy and governance organization. The
International DOI Foundation authorizes Registration Agencies such as R.R.
Bowker (www.bowker.com).
Membership is open to all organizations interested in helping to manage the
evolution of the system.
Click to complete an application for a DOI prefix and
annual maintenance services.
