What Is a DOI in a Research Paper? Crossref and Citing DOIs

A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a permanent identifier attached to an individual research output, such as a journal article, so that it can always be found online even if the publisher’s website changes. A typical DOI looks like 10.1234/abcd.5678 and works as a link when written as https://doi.org/10.1234/abcd.5678. For most journal articles, DOIs are registered through Crossref, and citing them makes your references more reliable and easier for readers to follow.

The problem DOIs solve

Web addresses break. Journals move to new platforms, publishers merge, and university websites are redesigned. If a footnote points to an ordinary URL, there is a real chance it will lead nowhere in a few years. This problem is often called “link rot”.

A DOI separates the identity of an article from its current location. The DOI never changes. When the article moves, the publisher updates the location recorded against the DOI, and the DOI link keeps working.

How a DOI is structured

Every DOI has two parts separated by a forward slash:

The numbers in this example are illustrations only. The prefix tells you who registered the DOI, not who owns the content today, because journals can change publishers while keeping their existing DOIs.

How DOIs work behind the scenes

1. A publisher becomes a member of a DOI registration agency and receives a prefix.
2. When an article is published, the publisher registers a DOI for it and deposits metadata: title, authors, journal, volume, issue, pages, date and the current web address.
3. The DOI resolver at doi.org stores the link between the DOI and the current address.
4. When a reader clicks https://doi.org/ followed by the DOI, the resolver sends them to the article’s current page.
5. If the article moves, the publisher updates the address, and every existing citation still works.

The DOI system itself is managed by the DOI Foundation. DOIs are actually issued through registration agencies, each serving different communities.

What is Crossref?

Crossref is a not-for-profit membership organisation and the DOI registration agency used by most scholarly journal publishers. Besides registering DOIs, Crossref collects the metadata publishers deposit and makes it openly available, which helps databases, reference managers and search tools discover and link research. Other registration agencies exist for other purposes. For example, DataCite is widely used for research datasets.

For authors, the practical point is simple: if a journal says its articles have DOIs, you should be able to check them on the Crossref search service or simply by resolving them at doi.org.

Why DOIs matter to you as an author

• Permanence: your article can be found for years, even if the journal moves platforms.
• Discoverability: metadata deposited with Crossref feeds into many search and indexing tools.
• Accurate citation: readers and reference managers can pull correct citation details from the DOI.
• Profile building: services such as ORCID can import your works using their DOIs.
• Citation tracking: DOIs make it easier for tools to connect citing and cited works.

What a DOI does not mean

A DOI is an identifier, not an endorsement. It does not show that the article was peer reviewed or that the journal is reputable. A predatory journal can obtain DOIs if it pays for membership. Equally, a good journal may not yet use DOIs, especially if it is new or run by a small institution. Judge a journal on its peer review, policies and editorial practice. Our guide on how to identify predatory journals explains how.

How to cite with a DOI

Crossref’s display guidelines recommend writing a DOI as a full link beginning with https://doi.org/, rather than with a “doi:” label or older “dx.doi.org” addresses. The exact placement depends on your citation style.

OSCOLA

OSCOLA treats journal articles available in print form as citable without a web address. For articles that exist only online, give the online details at the end, and a DOI is a good stable choice. An illustrative format:

Author Name, ‘Title of Article’ (Year) Volume Journal Name First Page <https://doi.org/10.1234/abcd.5678> accessed 1 November 2026

Read our OSCOLA citation guide for India for full rules.

APA

APA style includes the DOI at the end of the reference, written as a full https://doi.org/ link:

Surname, A. B. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pages. https://doi.org/10.1234/abcd.5678

The Bluebook

The Bluebook prefers citing the print or official version of a journal article where it exists. For online-only sources, include a stable link, and a DOI link serves this purpose well. Follow the journal’s own instructions on whether to add one.

Practical tips

• Copy the DOI from the article’s landing page, not from a third-party site.
• Test it by pasting https://doi.org/ plus the DOI into your browser.
• Use one format consistently throughout your footnotes or reference list.
• Do not invent or guess a DOI. If an article has none, cite it without one.

Worked example: checking a DOI

Suppose a footnote in a draft reads “doi:10.1234/xyz.2025.07”. Convert it to https://doi.org/10.1234/xyz.2025.07 and paste it into your browser. If it opens the right article, keep it in the full link format. If it shows “DOI not found”, the number may be mistyped or may never have been registered. Check the article’s landing page before you rely on it.

DOIs and new journals

Registering DOIs requires membership of a registration agency and ongoing metadata work, so many new journals begin without them and add them later. The Lexfolio Journal of Law, Policy and Social Sciences (LJLPS) is a new journal and does not yet assign DOIs. It publishes open access under CC BY 4.0 with stable article pages.

Frequently asked questions

Is a DOI the same as an ISSN?

No. An ISSN identifies a journal as a whole in one medium, while a DOI identifies an individual item such as a single article. See our guide on what an ISSN is.

Does having a DOI mean an article is peer reviewed?

No. A DOI only identifies and links to the article. It says nothing about the review process or the quality of the journal.

How do I find the DOI of an article?

Look on the article’s landing page or first page, usually near the title or citation details. You can also search the article title on Crossref’s search service.

Can I get a DOI for my paper myself?

DOIs for journal articles are registered by the publisher, not the author. Some repositories also assign DOIs to deposited works, subject to their own rules.