Box 69DOIs

The DOI or Digital Object Identifier was developed by the International DOI Foundation to provide for persistent identification of documents across networks. It does this using a naming convention consisting of a prefix that contains the name of the particular DOI directory and the content owner's identifier, and a suffix that is a numeric or alphanumeric string supplied by the publisher.

Publishers register with the International DOI Foundation to obtain their owner's identifier, then submit their suffix to a DOI registration agency along with the URL and appropriate metadata for the particular document being registered.

Publishers are currently assigning DOIs at both the book and chapter level. Some assign one DOI to a book regardless of changes in edition or format, while others give a unique DOI to each version.

To find a book on the Internet using its DOI, add the prefix http://dx.doi.org/ to the number.

To use a DOI in a citation:

• Begin with doi followed by a colon and a space
• Enter the number supplied by the publisher
  Example:

  • Schiraldi GR. Post-traumatic stress disorder sourcebook: a guide to healing, recovery, and growth [Internet]. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2000 [cited 2006 Nov 6]. 446 p. Available from: http://books.mcgraw-hill.com/getbook.php?isbn=0071393722&template=#toc doi: 10.1036/0737302658