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Author and Research Identifiers

Introduction to various persistent identifiers in the scholarly communication ecosystem.

Library's DOI Service

The University of Chicago Library provides a fee-based digital object identifier (DOI) service to support UChicago research groups that need to formalize the description and identification of individual scholarly outputs and to enhance the discoverability and citability of those outputs.  The DOI service and related resources are available to the Clients by virtue of the Library’s membership of DataCite, an international DOI registration agency.

Access to the service requires signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU).  The terms and conditions of the service are as follows:

Library’s Roles and Responsibilities

While the agreement is in effect, the Library will:

  1. Maintain its DataCite membership in good standing, including timely payment of dues
  2. Set up an account for the Client on DataCite’s Fabrica platform
  3. Assign a unique DOI prefix for the Client
  4. Provide initial training and guidance on metadata best practices and on the appropriate use of DOIs
  5. Ensure that the Client can register as many DOIs as required to represent the use and citation of their scholarly outputs
  6. Respond to the Client’s inquiries about the service within 5 business days
  7. Request technical support from DataCite if issues and faults with the service are identified outside of the remit of the Library
  8. Notify the Client of resources and services from DataCite that may be of use to them
  9. Issue an annual invoice to the Client for their use of the service (invoices for the first-year and termination year will be prorated as necessary)
  10. Review the charging model for Clients every 2 years and adjust as necessary to ensure cost recovery for DataCite charges and activity, which may include decreases in costs as well as increases
  11. Notify the Client at least 60 days before any charging model change is implemented
  12. Discontinue the Client’s access to Fabrica and assume the management of registered DOIs in the event that the Client can no longer perform their roles and responsibilities
  13. Represent the needs and requirements of UChicago Clients through the DataCite membership governance

In the meantime, the Library is under no obligation to:

  1. Provide technical support for the resources and services operated and maintained by DataCite
  2. Create or update the metadata associated with the DOIs the Client has registered for their scholarly outputs unless the Library inherits the management of the referenced outputs at a later date

Client’s Roles and Responsibilities

While the agreement is in effect, the Client will:

  1. Ensure that the use of DOIs within their service or platform complies with DataCite’s terms and conditions
  2. Create and manage metadata for the registration of DOIs, preferably in compliance with the FAIR data principles and the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance
  3. Use Fabrica or DataCite APIs to update the URLs of registered DOIs as necessary to ensure persistent availability of the referenced scholarly outputs
  4. Promptly pay the annual Library invoice to cover the costs of their use of the service
  5. Create a tombstone landing page for a referenced object that has become unavailable
  6. Notify the Library in writing at least 60 days in advance in the event that the Client can no longer comply with DataCite’s terms and conditions, so that the Library will be able to prepare for undertaking the management of registered DOIs as necessary
  7. Stop registering DOIs with their prefix and transfer the management of registered DOIs to the Library as necessary at a date mutually agreed upon by the Library and the Client, in the event that the Client can no longer comply with DataCite’s terms and conditions
  8. Communicate with the Library without delay when there is a change in the Client’s contact(s)
  9. Notify the Library as necessary of any recommendations for changes to the service and related resources so that the Library can fully represent the needs of UChicago Clients to DataCite

Service Fee

  1. Upon signing this MOU, the Library will issue an invoice to the Client
  2. The invoice is payable within 30 days unless negotiated otherwise
  3. The annual fee is $600 for the registration of up to 300 DOIs (invoices for the first-year and termination year will be prorated as necessary)
  4. DOIs in addition to the first 300 within the same year will cost $0.85 each
  5. An invoice for the additional DOIs will be issued at the beginning of the following year, which is payable within 30 days unless negotiated otherwise
  6. The payment is not refundable
  7. The payment is not transferable

Questions about the DOI service should be directed to the Center for Digital Scholarship.