FAQs – DOI

  1. How to start using the National DOI Center services?
  2. Through which registration agency do the National DOI Center services operate?
  3. Is it possible to try DOI allocation via DataCite in a test environment?
  4. How to access my DOI allocation account through DataCite?
  5. How to assign DOIs through DataCite?
  6. Are the DataCite APIs integrated into existing systems?
  7. What metadata do I need to enter when assigning DOIs through DataCite?
  8. Can I only assign DOIs to datasets through DataCite?
  9. Can I transfer the prefix and assigned DOIs to another registration agency?
  10. Who can find and view metadata of the DOI records in various states? (“Draft” and “Registered state”)?
  11. Any further questions?

1. How to start using the services of the National DOI Center?

To use the services of the DOI National Center, contact us at doi@techlib.cz.

Before you contact us, make sure your institution meets the basic requirements:

To use the services of the National DOI Centre, your organisation will sign a contract with the NTK. (The model of the contract is available in the NTK institutional repository: https://doi.org/10.48813/f7r6-xy34)

  • You represent an institution of higher education, research or other non-profit organization active in science, research and innovation based in the Czech Republic.
  • Your organisation produces research data, datasets and other research results in the course of its activities and assigns or plans to assign DOI identifiers to them.
  • Your organisation has a system where you can start assigning DOIs to research results (e.g. a repository).
  • Your organisation is prepared to ensure the persistence (permanence) of the registered DOIs, i.e. to keep the URL of the object’s information – its metadata and location – up-to-date in the long term.
  • Your organisation is prepared to ensure that DOIs are registered including correct and sufficient metadata.

You can begin using the National DOI Center services at any time during the calendar year.

2. Through which registration agency do National DOI Center services operate?

The National DOI Centre supports the allocation of DOIs through the registration agency DataCite.

DataCite is a global, non-profit organisation that provides persistent DOI identifiers for scientific data and other types of research outputs. DataCite’s goal is to help make data and other scientific content more accessible and citable. While research outputs (digital objects) are stored, managed and made available by institutions that assign DOIs through DataCite, the DataCite organisation registers individual DOIs and object metadata, including the URL where the object’s information and availability are permanently available.

3. Is it possible to try DOI allocation via DataCite in a test environment?

Yes, if you are interested in accessing the test environment, please contact us at doi@techlib.cz.

4. How to access my DOI allocation account through DataCite?

Organisations using the National DOI Center services will obtain an account and login credentials from the National DOI Center under the National Library of Technology (contact email: doi@techlib.cz). 

An additional account will be created by the National Center for each repository that the user organisation manages and wishes to assign DOIs in.

5. How to assign DOIs through DataCite?

The DataCite Registration Agency allows DOIs to be assigned individually through the Fabrica web interface, where a new, unique DOI is generated or manually entered along with the relevant digital object metadata.

More information about the Fabrica interface can be found here: https://support.datacite.org/docs/doi-fabrica

DOIs can also be assigned and registered in batch using APIs, specifically the DataCite REST API and the DataCite MDS API. 

Documentation for the REST API is available here: https://support.datacite.org/docs/api, and documentation for the MDS API is available here: https://support.datacite.org/docs/mds-api-guide.

6. Are DataCite APIs integrated into existing systems?

Yes, the DataCite APIs are integrated into these repository platforms and CRIS systems, where it is possible to assign DOIs without using the Fabrica interface:

  • Cayuse
  • Sataverse
  • dLibra
  • DSpace
  • EPrints
  • Figshare
  • Omeka S
  • Open Journal Systems (OJS)
  • Redivis
  • Ubiquity
  • Ex Libris Esploro
  • OMEGA-PSIR
  • Pure

See the list of companies that also integrate the DataCite API into their products.

7. What metadata do I need to enter when assigning DOIs through DataCite?

DataCite’s metadata schema specifies which data is mandatory, which is recommended and which is optional when assigning a DOI to a digital object.

The mandatory data are:

  • Identifier (= DOI)
  • Creator (= author(s), a person identifier such as ORCID may be provided)
  • Title (= title)
  • Publisher (= entity that owns, publishes, archives, etc. the object)
  • PublicationYear (= year the object is published)
  • ResourceType (= type of object)

More about the DataCite metadata schema can be found here.

8. Can I only assign DOIs to datasets through DataCite?

No, the DataCite Registry metadata schema allows you to assign a DOI to any digital object.

9. Can I transfer the prefix and assigned DOI to another registration agency?

Yes. The prefix can be transferred to another registration agency, but the DOIs already assigned must then be re-registered with the chosen registration agency.

10. Who can find and view metadata of the DOI records in various states? (“Draft” and “Registered state”)?

The metadata of all records, including those in “Draft” and “Registered” state, is accessible to all other users of DataCite services via the Member API. Official DataCite documentation on this aspect is available here: https://support.datacite.org/docs/doi-states.

11. Any further questions?

If you have any questions about DOI allocation, the National DOI Centre and its services, please contact us at: doi@techlib.cz.

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