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What is DOI?
DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a sequence of numbers, letters and symbols which are used for persistent and unchangeable identifying and linking on the web of an article, a document, data, etc. The web address (URL) may change, but DOI will always remain unchangeable.
The DOI system is interoperable with the existing identifiers and metadata frameworks.
In order to get a DOI
Decide whether DataCite DOIs are right for your organisation and data. You should consider whether you meet the basic requirements set out in the DataCite checklist:
Test account
You have the option to request access to a test account before making a final decision. The test account allows you to register temporary DOIs and to explore how the service fits within your workflows.
The contract and costs (for non-members)
Conclusion of the contract. All institutions can join the DataCite Estonia Consortium, provided that their application is approved by the Consortium Board. In order to join, a representative of the institution has to submit an application to the Consortium Board. The Board will make the decision no later than two months from the application date. On joining the Consortium, the institution has to pay the joining fee, specified by the Board, to the bank account of the DataCite Estonia authorised manager.
Implementing DataCite DOIs
Once the contract is concluded, your account will be opened and you will be given your unique DOI prefix so that you can start to mint DOIs for your data.
Technical information for data centres
Data centres are responsible for managing, preserving and providing access to their own data. DataCite stores only the metadata associated with the registered data set, the URL for the data set landing page and the registered DOI assigned to the data.
DataCite API
DataCite has created an API for users who wish to automate the registration process (minting DOIs and adding metadata). For detailed technical information on the API, please consult DataCite’s documentation.
Metadata Schema or the metadata structure
You can consult the DataCite Metadata Schema webpage for current information and updates and find a list of the metadata properties necessary for the precise identification of data for citation purposes, along with user instructions and examples.
Mandatory metadata:
