What is a DOI, when should I use it, and how do I format it?
Answer
DOI is short for a "Digital Object Identifier". It functions like a URL, meant to bring your reader to identifying information that is specific to the article or document that you're referencing as a source.
The MLA 8th and 9th edition style prefers a DOI to a URL whenever this is available("I am citing a paginated journal article that appears online").
DOIs should be formatted just as a hyperlink (beginning with http:// or https://), so your reader can click directly on this link from your works-cited page or copy and paste to be brought to the DOI.
Example:
Ullrich, David W. “The Function of ‘Oubliette’ in Kurt Vonnegut’s CAT’S CRADLE.” The Explicator, vol. 70, no. 2, 2012, pp. 149–52, https://doi.org/10.1080/00144940.2012.678912.
Works Cited
"I am citing a paginated journal article that appears online. Should I include the page range, the URL, or the DOI as the location element in the works-cited-list entry?" MLA Style Center, Modern Language Association of America, 11 Aug. 2016, https://style.mla.org/page-range-and-doi/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2023.
Topics
Comments (0)
Contact Us
To view all questions in this FAQ group, go to the "Featured" tab.
Welcome to the Linfield Library. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.