Internet - Using Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) and Universal Resource Locators (URL)

A Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is a tag which identifies individual online sources.
The Universal (or Uniform) Resource Locator (URL) links to an individual webpage.

Unlike the URL, each DOI tag is specific to a resource. The DOI tag is a generated number which identifies the publisher, the article and the issue information. The DOI tag can therefore permanently link to e-books, online journal articles, online presentations and online conference papers. The URL is less specific linking to an individual webpage in which content can subsequently be changed.

Both the DOI tag and URL can be copied and entered into an Internet search engine to find the reference, so either the DOI or URL links can be placed in the reference, but only one is required.

Where the DOI tag is included, because this is a permanent source identifier, the date of access does not need to be included. A date of access does need to be included if the URL is used.

Reference list template: DOI number

Author(s). … (year of publication) … Title … Published element … Available at: (DOI number)

Example: The published element is the journal in this example.

Borelli, S., Fumagalli, S., Colciago, E., Downey, J., Spiby, H. and Nespoli, A., (2023) How should a video-call service for early labour be provided? A qualitative study of midwives' perspectives in the United Kingdom and Italy Women and Birth. 36(6), 504-510. Available at: : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2023.06.006

Reference list template: URL address

Author(s). … (year of publication) … Title … Published element … Available at: URL address … [Accessed: date of access]