About DOIs
What is a DOI?
A DOI, or Digital Object Identifier, is a unique alphanumeric string assigned to an online document which acts as a persistent identifier or handle to permanently identify and link to it on the web.
For which of my research outputs could I create a DOI?
We can create DOIs for grey literature, including monographs, reports, working papers, unpublished conference papers, as well as theses and datasets.
The University needs to be the publisher, or the repository is the primary site of the item if it is unpublished. We cannot create a DOI because one is lacking from the journal or proceedings, or other published source.
Why would I want a DOI?
The DOI for a document remains fixed over the lifetime of the document, whereas its location and other metadata may change. It is a more stable link than simply using its URL.
It can be used to track data citation metrics and to link related outputs such as journal articles, research data, software and grey literature. As such, it assists to expand your research impact.
How do I create a DOI?
The VRE provides a DOI creation, or ‘minting’, service for research datasets and grey literature that are made available via our institutional repository, WestminsterResearch (staff login).
There are compulsory fields which need to be completed in order to mint a DOI. They are, as a minimum: title, author/creator, publisher (University of Westminster) and date of publication.
Select ‘Submit – request DOI’ on submission and then the Repository and Open Access manager will mint and add the DOI to the record during the item review stage.
Licensing
You may wish to consider the licence type you want to assign to your output. The Copyright for Researchers guide, available from the Library Guides website, gives information on the permissions and restrictions that various Creative Commons licences contain.
Can I request a DOI for my published research outputs?
No, we can only mint DOIs for unpublished, grey literature research outputs. If you wish to have a DOI minted for your published research output contact the publisher with your request.
Contact us
For further information, contact the Repository and Open Access Manager at [email protected].