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Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs)

The BSC Dataverse offers two different ways to permanently identify a dataset: permalinks and DOIs.

  • Permalink: persistent URLs that will always resolve to the specific entry for your dataset in the BSC Dataverse catalog

  • Digital Object Identifier (DOI): is a digital identifier of an object (physical, digital, or abstract). A DOI is a unique number made up of a prefix and a suffix separated by a forward slash. This is an example of one: 10.1000/182. It is resolvable using DataCite proxy server by displaying it as a link: https://doi.org/10.1000/182.

⚠️ Before Registering a Dataset

BSC assigns DOIs through an agreement with DataCite, the official DOI provider. Since DOI registration is a paid service:
  • Use a DOI only when necessary.
  • If your dataset already has a DOI from another repository, do not register a new one in Dataverse. Instead, use a permalink.
  • Do not assign DOIs to test or dummy datasets. For testing purposes, please use our dedicated test instance.
Please consult with your Dataverse Steward before registering any dataset. They will configure the settings to ensure your dataset is assigned the correct identifier (DOI or Permalink).

How does a DOI work at BSC Dataverse?

When you create a dataset (Draft)

  • Dataverse immediately assigns a DOI and reserves it at DataCite.
  • You will see the DOI on the dataset page, but the link won’t resolve at doi.org yet (you may get “DOI Not Found”).
  • This is expected while the dataset is still a draft.

When your Dataverse Steward publishes the dataset

  • Dataverse registers the DOI with DataCite, including the public landing page URL.
  • Shortly after publishing, the DOI resolves at https://doi.org/... to your dataset page.

If you need to share a draft

  • Use Private URL (if enabled by your Dataverse admins) to share access before publication.
  • The DOI will begin resolving only after publish (or if an admin explicitly registers it via API).

After publication

  • Later edits update metadata at DataCite.
  • Deaccessioning keeps the DOI registered but points to a tombstone/notice page (standard practice).