Technical specifications for DataCite DOI identifiers

Unsure what to consider when obtaining a DOI? Learn more about the minimum metadata requirements of DataCite DOIs and the supported interfaces.
What do DOIs require?
  • The metadata of a research dataset must be located on a single landing page with a URL.
  • The compulsory metadata of datasets must be stored in the DataCite service.
  • Landing page addresses must be as persistent as possible.
  • If the data are removed, the DOI must continue to refer to a website that describes what has happened to the data (tombstone page).
  • In practice, managing DOI identifiers requires an application programming interface (API) from data repositories.
What are the minimum requirements for metadata?

Datasets must have at least these metadata:

  • Identifier
  • Author
  • Title
  • Publisher
  • Year of publication
  • Data type
How are DOI identifiers managed?

Data repositories that wish to enable DOI identifiers must contact Data Support at .

Data Support will create repository-specific DOI prefixes for each repository. In addition, Data Support provides credentials for a management tool, enabling the creation of DOI identifiers through application programming interfaces (API). You can familiarise yourself with the supported interfaces from the adjacent links.