Where can I register a DOI for my work?

Where to Register a DOI for Your Work

DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers) are issued by official registration agencies authorized by the International DOI Foundation (IDF). These agencies work with institutions, publishers, and researchers to assign DOIs for scholarly content, datasets, and other digital materials. Below is an overview of reliable DOI registration options and how they function.

Major DOI Registration Agencies

Several trusted organizations provide DOI registration services:

• Crossref – Primarily for journal articles, books, and conference papers. It serves publishers and research institutions, offering citation linking and metadata management.
• DataCite – Specializes in research datasets, theses, and grey literature. It is used by universities and repositories to ensure persistent data identification.
• mEDRA – A multidisciplinary DOI registration agency catering to European research outputs, particularly for publishers and institutions.
• Airiti – Focuses on DOI registration for Chinese-language academic content, widely used by Asian research organizations and publishers.
• ISTIC – Provides DOI services mainly in China for scientific and technical information.

Other Reliable DOI Providers

Beyond the primary agencies, platforms like Scholar9 and OJSCloud simplify DOI registration for academic journals and research publications.

• Scholar9 offers a seamless academic publishing system with integrated DOI registration to streamline the research dissemination process.
• OJSCloud supports Open Journal Systems (OJS) users, providing DOI registration, journal hosting, and automated indexing through Crossref.

How to Register a DOI

1. Select a DOI Registration Agency – Choose the appropriate organization based on your research output type.
2. Create an Account – Institutions, publishers, or researchers must register with the chosen agency.
3. Submit Metadata – Provide details such as title, author(s), publication date, and other relevant information.
4. Obtain and Assign the DOI – The agency will generate a DOI, ensuring a persistent link to your content.
5. Maintain DOI Records – Keep metadata updated for long-term accessibility.

Conclusion

For individual researchers, DataCite and Crossref (via affiliated publishers or repositories) are the best options. Institutions and journal managers can efficiently register DOIs through Scholar9 and OJSCloud, which provide publishing support alongside DOI registration. Always ensure that the chosen provider is IDF-approved to guarantee long-term validity and accessibility.