Understanding DOIs and URLs

In the world of citing sources, there are many short forms or acronyms. Let's discuss a few of these, what they mean, and when to use them. A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or URL is the last part of a reference list entry. Since a lot of academic work is now available online, most references end with either a DOI or a URL.

What is a DOI?

A DOI is a unique combination of letters and numbers that helps identify content and gives a permanent link to where it can be found on the internet. You can find DOIs in database records and the lists of references in published works.

What is a URL?

On the other hand, a URL shows where you can find digital information on the internet, and you can see it in your web browser's address bar. When you mention a URL in your references, it should take readers directly to the material you're citing.

When to include DOIs and URLs in your references:

• Always add a DOI if the work has one, whether you used the online or printed version.
• If a printed work doesn't have a DOI, don't include any DOI or URL.
• If an online work has both a DOI and a URL, only put the DOI.
• If an online work has a URL but no DOI, include the URL in the reference. But make sure the URL works for your readers, especially for materials from regular websites (not academic databases).
• For works without DOIs from most academic databases, don't include a URL or mention the database info in the reference. Instead, treat it like a printed version.
• If you're citing something from a database that has its own unique content or something that isn't widely available, like monographs in the ERIC database, include the database's name and the URL of the material. If the URL needs a login or won't work for readers, provide the database or archive's homepage or login page instead. You can find more info on including database info in references.
• If the URL isn't working or doesn't lead to the content you want to cite, follow the rules for works without a source.

Keep in mind that other codes like ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) are not used in APA Style references.

Here's how to format DOIs and URLs:

• Show both DOIs and URLs as links, starting with "http:" or "https:".
• You don't need to say "Retrieved from" or "Accessed from" before a DOI or URL because the link takes readers to the content directly.
• You can use the default way links look in your word-processing program (usually blue and underlined) or plain text without underlining.
• If your work is going to be published or read online, keep the links active.
• Follow the current suggestions from the International DOI Foundation for formatting DOIs in the reference list, which, as of now, looks like this: https://doi.org/xxxxx. Here, "https://doi.org/" is how you show a DOI as a link, and "xxxxx" is the DOI number.
• Don't change the capitalization or punctuation of the DOI or URL. Don't add line breaks yourself; it's fine if your word processor does it automatically.
• Don't put a period after the DOI or URL because it might mess up the link.

When dealing with long or complicated DOIs or URLs:

• You can use shortDOIs or shortened URLs when needed.
• Use the shortDOI service from the International DOI Foundation to create shortDOIs. Each work gets only one DOI and one shortDOI. The service either makes a new shortDOI for a work that doesn't have one or finds an existing shortDOI.
• Some websites have their own shortened URLs, and there are other services to shorten URLs. Any shortened URL is fine in a reference as long as it takes you to the right place.