Scholarly Communication @ UTampa

The Macdonald-Kelce Library (MKL) works with DataCite, a service which creates digital object identifiers (DOIs). A DOI is an alphanumeric string assigned to uniquely identify an object. It is tied to a metadata description of the object as well as to a digital location, such as a URL, where all the details about the object are accessible. Learn more about UTampa activity on DataCite Commons.

The MKL can only create DOIs for materials they—or the University—have responsibility for. This service was put into place to create DOIs for materials housed in The University of Tampa Institutional Repository (UoTIR). At this time, items in UoTIR are prioritized for DOI assignment, and other requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

If you are interested in submitting your work to the IR, please see this policy. And if you have any questions about the IR or the DOI service, please contact repository@ut.edu.

What is a DOI?

1. DOI stands for “Digital Object Identifier,” a unique, permanent persistent link to information about an object online (such as a journal article, dataset, website, image, etc.)
2. Clicking on a DOI link will take you to a web page where you can find out how to access the object 
3. If the location (URL) where the object is hosted changes over time, the DOI will stay the same, so the object can always be found
4. Example DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5778321

Why should I care about DOIs?

• DOIs are essential to ensuring that the research and scholarly materials that you create and use are FAIR, in line with the FAIR principles:
• Findable - DOIs make it easier to find research and scholarly works
• Accessible - DOIs ensure that works can continue to be accessed over time
• Interoperable - DOIs work together with your ORCID iD to make sure you get credit for your work
• Reusable - DOIs make it easier to cite and reuse research and scholarly works 

How should I use DOIs?

• When you are reusing or citing someone else’s work, make sure to include the DOI for the work if available (use the DOI Citation Formatter to create a DOI citation)
• If an object that you created has a DOI, use it when referencing or sharing your work

How can I get a DOI for an object that I created?

• Many journal publishers, repository platforms, and research organizations can assign a DOI to your work, either automatically or upon request
• The Library can assign a DOI to works submitted to the Institutional Repository, if one is not already assigned
• FYI, DOIs are usually assigned to objects when they are ready to be shared/published
• Remember, once a DOI is created it is permanent!

What else do I need to know?

• While DOIs are persistent, unique identifiers/links for objects, there is also a persistent unique identifier for researchers & contributors called ORCID (Open Researcher & Contributor Identifier). Anyone can get an ORCID iD for free, and your ORCID iD can be linked to the DOIs for your works. Learn more about ORCID.
• For more information about DOIs and other persistent identifiers, see:
• Blog: What a researcher should know about persistent identifiers 
• Article: How persistent identifiers can save scientists time 
• Video: Persistent identifiers for researchers and research outputs