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Citing Sources: DOI

What is a DOI?

DOI_disc_logo      A DOI is a Digital Object Identifier.  It is a unique identifying number/character string for an electronic article, ebook, or other "object".  It provides a permanent, stable access to these objects on the internet.  

All DOI numbers begin with a 10, such as: 10.1159/000330840 or 10.1289/ehp.1003206. 

Several citations styles now incorporate DOIs for electronic sources when present.   Not all articles have DOIs.

Where to find the DOI

  • Usually located on the first page of an electronic journal article, near the copyright notice or near the author's address.
  • May also be found in the Full Record Display of an article in a database, with the field labeled DOI.

If you are unable to locate the DOI for a source, try  Crossref     

Look up an article by title or author.    You do not need to be a member to use this search option. 

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