Step 6 - Get a persistent identifier - Data publication - Subject guides at University of Sydney

[Findable] [Accessible] - Persistent identifiers for data and researchers

Data persistent identifier: What is a DOI?

A Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is a unique identifier that you can use to enable your data or datasets to be cited just like bibliographic references or other scholarly resources. A DOI will help make research outputs, such as datasets, more findable and citable. DOIs allow for your datasets to be tracked through metrics systems, such as Almetric, which you can use to measure the use and impact of your data.

Persistent identifiers and data citation explained from Research Data Netherlands

Cite Data

If you use data created or collected by other researchers you should cite this data as you would any other publication. When you cite data, it gives attribution to the original creators and allows the impact of these research outputs to be tracked in a similar manner to traditional outputs. How data should be cited can vary between disciplines, so it is always best to check a style guide for the relevant referencing style, with your faculty or with a publisher/repository (if publishing research) to ensure data is cited correctly.

Citations to your data can add to your academic impact. Indicate in your (Creative Commons) license or user agreement that you want your data cited when reused. DataCite recommended that data citation should include;

Author/ creator
Publication Year
Title
Publisher
Persistent Identifier (e.g. a DOI), preceded by the URL.

Recommended optional elements;

Version
Resource type

However other information such as location (where data was collected) and edition may also be used. For further information see the DataCite website, or the Digital Curation Centres’ guide on How to Cite Datasets.

Example:

Persistent identifier for researcher: ORCID

ORCID is a persistent digital identifier that’s unique to you, meaning that if you use an ORCID all the articles and data that you’ve published or grants that you’ve submitted can be easily identified as yours. As ORCID easily groups all of your outputs, it can assist in getting a more accurate reading of citations and research impact. For more information, or to apply for an ORCID, visit the ORCID website and the Library's guide for using researcher profiles.