DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier.
It provides a persistent link to the web location for an electronic item, similar to an ISBN. It's a little bit more commonly seen in science publications than in humanities, and both print and electronic sources can have DOIs assigned (including books!).
DOI or URL?
DOI is preferred over simply linking (using the URL) to an item, because of its permanent routing back to the official publication page. This is true for APA, MLA, and CMOS. (The order of preference is: DOI, permalink, URL).
Example of a DOI:
- 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2006.12.005
Locating the DOI:
- Usually stated in the research database record
- May be in the article pdf near other identifying info
- There's a DOI look-up tool to search by title or other information.
