Abstract

Jan Brase, Irina Sens
German National Library of Science and Technology, Hannover, Germany

A system for easy access to scientific information using DOIs

Many publications are based on scientific data sets that can not be accessed, therefore re-evaluation or re-analysis of data is almost impossible. To enable citations of data that encourage good scientific practice and acknowledgement of scientific work,
the German Research Foundation (DFG) started the project Publication and Citation of Scientific Primary Data.
Starting with the field of earth science the German National Library of Science and Technology (TIB) is now established as a DOI-registration agency for scientific primary data as a member of the International DOI Foundation (IDF).

Primary data related to geoscientific, climate and environmental research is stored locally at those institutions which are responsible for its evaluation and maintenance. In addition to the local data provision, the TIB saves the URL where the data can be accessed including all bibliographic metadata. When data are registered, the TIB provides a Digital
Object Identifier (DOI) as a unique identifier for content objects in the digital environment. DOIs are names assigned to any entity for use on digital networks. They are used to provide current information, including where they (or information about them) can be found on the Internet. Information about a digital object may change over time,including where to find it, but its DOI will remain stable.

All information about the data is accessible through the online library catalogue of the TIB.
The entries are displayed with all relevant metadata and persistent identifiers as links to access the dataset itself.
Until now (February 2007) the TIB has registered 435,276 data sets, 6,302 radiological case studies, 342 technical reports and 112 learning objects.
In the future the registration of any scientific content that is a result of community funded research shall be a primary task for the TIB. This will include the registration of various different content types likecrystal structures, earth samplings, 3-D models, etc.

Every registered object will be accessible via a new catalogue at the library thus bridging the gap in dissemination of and access to information in a most dramatic and effective way.