DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier. It is a unique character string used to identify a particular object such as an image or document.
Everyone does not call these unique identifiers "DOIs". You may also see:
PermaLink: For Example in Ebsco Databases
Stable URL: For example, in JSTOR
Durable URL: For example, in the Black Studies Center
DOIs are permanent ways to connect to a document or record.
In may databases, when you search, then select a particular document, the URL at the top of the screen in your browser refers to the particular search that you jsut performed or the search engine itself. If you tried to copy that URL and link to it later, you often do not find the same record. A DOI offers a solution to that problem.
For example: In the database:
You will find an article such as this:
While still in LexisNexis Academic, looking at the full text of the article, you would see the following URL in your browser's address line:
Compare that to the permanent link (DOI) you get when you click the "Copy Document Link" button (
):
https://0-www.lexisnexis.com.library.unl.edu/lnacui2api/api/version1/getDocCui?lni=56NR-DPP1-JBFW-C44C&csi=8075&hl=t&hv=t&hnsd=f&hns=t&hgn=t&oc=00240&perma=true
The URL in your browser simply takes you to the search engine, not to the article on Tom Osborne's announcement.
If you're on campus, Try it out and see! Copy and paste each of the links into your browser and see where they take you.
