Global visibility of publications through Digital Object Identifiers

TL;DR

This paper examines the global distribution of Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), highlighting disparities affecting developing countries and emphasizing the importance of DOIs for enhancing publication visibility worldwide.

Contribution

It provides an analysis of DOI availability globally, revealing disparities and advocating for increased focus on DOIs to improve access to publications from developing regions.

Findings

Many publications from developing countries lack DOIs

Large publishers dominate DOI registration

DOI availability impacts global scientific visibility

Abstract

This brief research report analyzes the availability of Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) worldwide, highlighting the dominance of large publishing houses and the need for unique persistent identifiers to increase the visibility of publications from developing countries. The study reveals that a considerable amount of publications from developing countries are excluded from the global flow of scientific information due to the absence of DOIs, emphasizing the need for alternative publishing models. The authors suggest that the availability of DOIs should receive more attention in scholarly communication and scientometrics, contributing to a necessary debate on DOIs relevant for librarians, publishers, and scientometricians.