Citation Basics
What Is a DOI and Why It Matters for Your Citations
Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) give every published article a stable web address. Here is why every reference list should include them.
A Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is a permanent code assigned to a published article, dataset or chapter. Because publishers maintain the registry, DOIs do not break the way ordinary URLs do.
Where to find a DOI
Look near the title or copyright information on the publisher's page. DOIs usually start with 10. and look like 10.1037/0033-2909.131.6.803.
How to format a DOI
Modern citation styles (APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago 17) prefer the resolvable URL form: https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.131.6.803.
If a source has both a DOI and a URL, always cite the DOI.
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