What is a DOI?
DOI means Direct Object Identifier. It is a unique number and link given to articles, papers, & books, by some publishers, to identify a particular publication.
Here are two ways to write the same DOI
How to find a DOI?
- The DOI will be printed with the article itself, usually on the first page: below the title or in the header or footer. If viewing a PDF version of an article use the shortcut ctrl+F to open a search box. Then type DOI to find it within the article. Some articles won't have a DOI.
- Go to http://www.crossref.org/ and follow the instructions to search for a DOI using the article title and author's last name.
How do I use a DOI in citations?
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APA format
- In APA format (7th edition), include the DOI for all works that have one. It goes at the end of your reference--no period at the end. Write the DOI as a hyperlink starting with
https://doi.org/
- Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume number, page range. https://doi.org/10.0000/0000
- If your article has no DOI whatsoever, which may happen with older articles, simply omit this from the citation:
- Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume number, page range.
- If your article includes both a DOI and a URL, include only the DOI.
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MLA format
- As of the most recent (9th) edition, MLA encourages students to include the DOI at the end of the citation for an online scholarly journal article. If no DOI exists, use the URL.
- Author LastName, FirstName, and FirstName LastName. "Article Title." Journal Name, vol. #, no. #, date, pp. ##-##. Name of Database, doi: 10.0000/000000000.
- It's a good idea to check with your instructor whether they want you to include the date you accessed the article, although this is not required by MLA.
