Cal Poly

Digital Object Identifiers (DOI)

The Digital Object Identifier (DOI) system enables a persistent URL to be created for digital objects, including journal articles.

The DOI is an integral element of the APA citation format for articles from databases and can take many forms:

• 10.1038/425107a
• 10.1016/0022-1910(82)90103-2
• in citations, "doi:" will precede it, e.g. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6602951

Many databases and publishers use DOIs, including ScienceDirect, PsycINFO, Wiley Online Library, SAGE Journals and more.

How to use it

• See if we own the material it refers to
  1. Use Find It to resolve/look up a DOI
  2. Get full-text or use interlibrary services to get the article.
• Create a persistent link with a DOI
  1. Start with the prefix:
     http://ezproxy.lib.calpoly.edu/login?url=http://dx.doi.org/
  2. Add the DOI at the end of the prefix:
     • DOI = 10.1038/425107a
     • DOI added to prefix = http://ezproxy.lib.calpoly.edu/login?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/425107a

More Information

• FAQ at Crossref.org for information about DOIs in libraries
• DOI.org