Digital object identifier
The Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is a standardized, persistent alphanumeric string assigned to a digital object, such as a journal article, book chapter, dataset, or image, to provide a unique and enduring reference that facilitates its location and access over time.[1] Developed as a solution to the challenges of link rot and changing digital locations, the DOI system ensures that content remains reliably identifiable regardless of shifts in hosting platforms or metadata.[2] Originating from a 1997 joint initiative by three major publishing trade associations—the International Publishers Association (IPA), the International Association of Scientific, Technical, and Medical Publishers (STM), and the Association of American Publishers (AAP)—the DOI was publicly announced at the Frankfurt Book Fair that year and formalized through the establishment of the International DOI Foundation (IDF).[2] The system leverages the Handle System technology, developed by the Corporation for National Research Initiatives (CNRI), to create resolvable identifiers in the format10.prefix/suffix, where the prefix is managed by registration agencies and the suffix is unique to the object; prefixing with doi.org/ (e.g., https://doi.org/10.1000/xyz123) resolves to the object's current location via the DOI resolver service.[1][2]
Standardized as ISO 26324 in 2012, with a second edition in 2022, the DOI has become integral to scholarly communication, research data management, and industries like entertainment and rights management, with over 117.8 billion resolutions recorded as of November 2025 and support from 13 registration agencies worldwide.[1][2] Its persistence is maintained through a not-for-profit governance model under the IDF, which oversees registration, resolution infrastructure, and compliance, enabling seamless interoperability across global digital ecosystems.[1]