Source Types
6 Electronic Resources: DOI or URL?
When citing resources that you find online, it is important to include the permanent link to the source. The DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or URL (Uniform Resource Locator) are important elements when citing online resources. They provide the reader with an easy way to access the source you used, however, they are not the same thing.
DOI (Digital Object Identifier)
Scholarly publishers use the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) for their online academic works such as journal articles and books. Every DOI is a unique stable link which is not associated with any other work. Occasionally, print works might have DOI’s. This is the case if a journal article or book exists in both print and online format. If a work has a DOI, you must use it regardless if you used the print or online version of the work at hand. If the online work does not have a DOI, use the URL.
A DOI may appear in the following formats:
- https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304826
- 10.1371/journal.pone.0135471
Locate the DOI for your source:
- Find it in the article or book
- Look for a “Cite” option in the library database
- Search Google Scholar
- Search at CrossRef
URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
There are two types of URLs:
- A stable permalink, and
- The URL displayed in the browser’s address bar.
In library catalogues and library databases you may find a stable permalink for the source. For citation purposes, use the stable permalink rather than the browser’s address bar URL to ensure long-term and reliable access to the source. However, please note that only those who have institutional access will be able to open the item through the permanent link.
URLs from the browser’s address bar may change over time due to website updates or restructuring. Therefore, it is preferable to use a DOI when available, or alternatively a stable permalink, rather than relying on the address bar URL.
Key Takeaways
When to use DOI or URL:
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Use DOI when available
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Use a stable permalink over a browser’s address bar URL
