[topicmapmail] Re: Document Object Identifiers/CrossRef
Paskin, Norman (DOI-ELS)
n.paskin@doi.org
Mon, 9 Sep 2002 16:09:47 +0100
Thanks for bringing the thread on DOI on this topicmap list to my attention.
DOI = Digital Object Identifier by the way (it's not restruicted to
documents).
The main question seems to be one we've addressed in our FAQ section
(www.doi.org), see FAQ tab, question 27. "Persistent identification is an
accepted concept: what does the DOI add to this? " (For convenience I've
also appended that FAQ to this mail below)
The relationship of DOI to URN and URI is also covered in the FAQ (and there
is a pointer there to the more detailed technical information in the DOI
Handbook, chapter 4: see http://www.doi.org/hb.html).
My view is that the key issue is not one of technology, its one of
implementation: while there are abstract schemes which describe persistence,
metadata, etc, at the end of the day they can only work if implemented: and
implementation requires policy, business rules. and practical activities
like someone taking responsibility for assigning and maintaining
information. We've attempted to make our business requirements as neutral
as possible (i.e. capable of supporting any type of business model) - for
more on that see the Handbook chapter 10
To pick up on the point in one of the exchanges in the thread: an ISBN is in
itself not a DOI. An ISBN - as with any exisiting identifier - can however
be (easily) made into a DOI by adding a prefix which converts it into a
syntactically correct string. ISBNs can also be of course "easily" made
into URNs, or any other regular expression. The question that matters is:
having done that, what does it get you (what do you actually DO with
urn:isbn:1234567890?) . In the case of DOI it gets you a fully supported,
working combination of scalable resolution, interoperable metadata,
practical policy and business implementation. A DOI is a URI and in
effect a URN (for a more detailed technical exposition of that if you are
interested, see DOI Handbook section 4.9-4.11).
(http://www.doi.org/handbook_2000/enumeration.html#4.9)
The "state of play" is that DOIs are implemented currently on a commercial
scale and basis - over 5 million exist; the main initial implementation is
CrossRef but other applications are now being announced in areas ranging
from images (http://www.doi.org/news/020729-plugin.html#corbis) though
learning objects and government documents (a press release on the later is
due shortly)
To echo what Daniel already posted: please feel free to contact me if you
are interested in more on DOI. The DOI-News list may be useful: click on
"Subscribe to DOI News to receive monthly announcements" on the home page
www.doi.org ( we guarantee that it won't be more than one mail per month, no
more than 2 pages, and we never release the list to anyone else!)
Here's the FAQ:
27. "Persistent identification" is an accepted concept: what does the DOI
add to this?
The need for persistent identifiers is well recognised in many areas
(particularly from the library, archives, and government communities), but
the next step (adopting a practical implementation such as DOI) is not yet
so readily comprehended. We believe that there is a fundamental difference
between recognising the need for persistent identifiers through a technical
scheme (like URN), and the practical implementation of this (which
inevitably has associated costs but also associated added value: a DOI is a
URN and URI implementation). The key point is not about DOI "versus" an
alternative scheme; it is about technical versus business infrastructure,
and the need for additional implementation work for the use of any
persistent identifier.
The implementation of persistent identifiers adds value, but necessarily
incurs some costs (in number registration, infrastructure maintenance, and
governance). There is a widespread recognition of the advantages of
assigning identifiers; and a widespread misconception that an abstract
specification (like a URN or URI) actually delivers a working system rather
than a namespace that still needs to be populated and managed. A common
misperception is that one can have such a system at no cost. It is
inescapable that a cost is associated with managing persistence and
assigning identifiers and data to the standards needed to ensure long-term
stability.
If adding a URL "costs nothing" (which itself ignores some infrastructure
costs), why should assigning a name? It is indeed possible to use any
string, assigned by anyone, as a name but to be useful and reliable any
name must be supported by a social as well as technical infrastructure that
defines its properties and utilities. URLs for example have a clear
technical infrastructure (standards for how they are made), but a very loose
social infrastructure (anyone can create them, with the result that they are
unreliable alone for long term preservation use as they have no guarantee of
stability let alone associated structured metadata). Product bar codes, Visa
numbers, and DOIs have a tighter social (business) infrastructure, with
rules and regulations, costs of maintaining and policing data and
corresponding benefits of quality and reliability.
Like any other piece of infrastructure, an identifier system (especially one
which adds much value like metadata and resolution) must be paid for
eventually by someone. The DOI is designed to work with any business model,
ranging from free assignment to assignment on a commercial basis.
For more on this topic, see Chapter 3 (section on "social infrastructure
development"; Chapter 4 (DOI, URN and URI specifications); and Chapter 11
(business model for Registration Agencies) of the DOI Handbook.
----------
Dr Norman Paskin
Director
The International DOI Foundation
PO Box 233
Kidlington, Oxford
OX5 1XU
UK
n.paskin@doi.org
web site: http://www.doi.org
Tel: (+44) 1865 843798
Fax: (+44) 1865 843446
Administrative offices:
US: The International DOI Foundation
c/o Gray Cary
1625 Massachusetts Avenue. N.W.
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036
The International DOI Foundation
C/o International Publishers Association
3, avenue de Miremont
CH-1206 Geneva
Switzerland
-----Original Message-----
From: Daniel Rivers-Moore [mailto:Daniel.Rivers-Moore@rivcom.com]
Sent: 06 September 2002 15:23
To: n.paskin@doi.org
Cc: topicmapmail
Subject: RE: [topicmapmail] Re: Document Object Identifiers/CrossRef
Norman
Here is the later exchange, as promised.
I'm not sure if I've got my facts right about the intentions and current
status of the DOI initiative. Perhaps you could confirm or correct.
Many thanks
Daniel
-----Original Message-----
From: Daniel Rivers-Moore
Sent: 06 September 2002 15:08
To: Anthony B. Coates; topicmapmail
Subject: RE: [topicmapmail] Re: Document Object Identifiers/CrossRef
Speaking from the point of view of very partial knowledge, my
understanding is that, from the IDF's point of view, a URN would be one
kind of DOI. ISBN would be another.
I know that the intention of the IDF is that they provide not only a
standard for DOIs themselves, but also a standard resolution mechanism,
software that implements that mechanism, and actual on-the-ground
resolution -service providers. As I said in my earlier post, it is not
clear to me how far they are down the road of achieving all that in
practice, but the project is certainly far-reaching and ambitious.
Out of curiosity back to you, Tony, does IETF's DDDS URN-URL resolution
simply define a way of doing the resolution in principle, or are there
also working software and installed service providers?
Daniel
-----Original Message-----
From: Anthony B. Coates [mailto:abcoates@TheOffice.net]
Sent: 06 September 2002 14:57
To: topicmapmail
Subject: [topicmapmail] Re: Document Object Identifiers/CrossRef
Out of curiosity, does the DOI initiative deliver more than the IETF's
DDDS
(URN -> URL resolution) would, when applied to "urn:publicId:..." URNs?
Cheers,
Tony.
====
Anthony B. Coates, Information & Software Architect
mailto:abcoates@TheOffice.net
MDDL Editor (Market Data Definition Language)
http://www.mddl.org/
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