What is a DOI and how do I use it when citing sources in an APA style research paper?
Answer
When an article is published and made available electronically, the publisher assigns a DOI to the article.
- Older DOI numbers begin with a 10 and contain a prefix and suffix separated with a forward slash.
- Newer DOIs are in URL format.
If a journal publisher uses DOIs, they will usually print the DOI somewhere on the first page of the article. Some of the online resources used to search for articles on topics will supply DOIs in the citations. View the full citation to see if a DOI is included.
Don't see a DOI? Search for your article on Crossref.org.
If the article has a DOI, format it as a URL: https://doi.org/xxxxxxxxxxxx
Example: https://doi.org/10.2307/4581204
For more information, see DOIs and URLs at APA Style.