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APA Style: DOI vs URL

What is a DOI?

What is a digital object identifier (DOI)?

DOI: 10.1093/ijlct/ctt070.

Developed by a group of international publishers, the DOI System provides a means of persistent identification for managing information on digital networks.  The DOI System is implemented through registration agencies such as CrossRef, which provides citation-linking services for the scientific publishing sector...CrossRef's participants have developed a system that provides two critical functions.

  • (1) They assign each article a "unique identifier and underlying routing system" that functions as a clearinghouse to direct readers to content, regardless of where  that content resides,
  • (2) They collaborate to use the DOI as an underlying linking mechanism "embedded" in the reference lists of electronic articles.

A DOI is a unique alphanumeric string assigned by a registration agency to identify content and provide a persistent link to its location on the Internet.

 The publisher assigns a DOI when [the] article is published and made available electronically....We recommend that when DOIs are available, you include them for both print and electronic sources.

Source: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 6th ed. p 188-189

Further information on DOI is available below:

By: Shang, Jinlei; Kendall, Kevin; Pollet, Bruno G. International Journal of Low Carbon Technologies. Jun2016, Vol. 11 Issue 2, p205-210. 6p. 1 Color Photograph, 4 Charts, 4 Graphs. DOI: 10.1093/ijlct/ctt070. , Database: GreenFILE

What is a URL?

What is a uniform resource locator (URL)?

The URL is used to map digital information on the Internet. The components of a URL are as follows:

Protocol                 host name                      Path to document                    file name of specific document

    |                             |                                     |                                         |

http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct13/workplace.html

Protocol Indicates what method a web browser or other type of Internet software should use to exchange data with the file server on which the desired document resides. The kind of protocol recognized by most browsers are the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)
Host or domain name Identifies the server on which the files reside
Path to document This is the file pathway on the server that leads to the document being displayed on the Internet
File name the name of the file that is being displayed

Source:  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 6th ed, p 187-188