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Citing Electronic and Other "Unusual" Sources

What is a DOI / permalink?

Sometimes URLs for websites and other online content can change over time. A permalink is designed to not change over time. Therefore, use permalinks whenever possible when citing online materials.

DOIs (digital object identifiers) are a standardized form of permalink. Most online scholarly content is published with a DOI that you can use in your citation.

Read more about how to find DOIs here: https://libanswers.unl.edu/faq/342115

While DOIs are the "standard" type of permalink mentioned in citation style guides, here are other types of permalink you may find while researching:

  • handle.net
  • perma.cc
  • purl.fdlp.gov
  • archive.is
  • archive.today
  • web.archive.org
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