Factsheet | DOI – unique identifier and sustainable link of research outputs

The Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is a persistent identifier to uniquely and permanently identify physical, digital and abstract objects following international standards. DOIs enable the sustainable linking and traceability of digital objects in the world wide web, even if the URL changes.

DOIs are primarily used for scientific, professional and regulatory publications. The metadata of the publications are directly linked to the individual identifier. Both factors significantly increase the findability and visibility of research output.

This factsheet contains condensed information on the functionality and benefits of DOIs as persistent identifiers of digital objects.