Digital Object Identifiers the future of digital archiving?

PART 1

            The Web is a complex world of information and the growth of information has made searching quite taxing. Moreover most of the sites, once found, soon become unavailable because the URL may have then become obsolete. For the Web to be the medium of accessing valuable information, not to mention the medium of B2B transactions, it must have a way of easy access of information. Once accessed, this information must also be permanent, interpretable and reliable. 

 It is on this premise that Handle System, which underlies Digital Object Identifier (DOI), was designed. Thus Dr. Robert Kahn developed a system wherein all and every information object is given a universal ID number. The number is exclusive to the information. This is the main reason why DOI is the future of digital archiving. DOI was first used by the scientific journal publishers. These publishers have assigned more than 4 million DOI to their Journal articles to cross link all citations, footnotes and another publisher.

           That DOI is the future of digital imaging can no longer be disputed nor stopped. There are several reasons or factors for this and all of them far outweigh the advantages over the disadvantages of DOI.

First is its simplicity and easy access of information. With DOI people or programs will be routed to the object itself using a global distributed directory. The same is done on all things related to the objects, such as services, products, etc. Another important aspect of the DOI is its link is permanent. Using URL as an example, DOI does not break the moment the site is moved to a different server, or if it is reorganized or if something has been changed or updated in the site. For DOI updating is on one central record and the directory simply re-points the links to the DOI. With DOI there is no longer the need to find all the existing URL links and change all of them because it is based on an outdated URL.

Second is the flexibility or use of DOI is quite enormous. For one, the DOI can be a physical product by pointing to the catalog of the product itself with all its information. The DOI can be a serial number pointing to the product – from its information to its sales, delivery and warranty.

For manufacturers of equipment and other products that includes separate parts and manual, the DOI can serve as manual and specifications. These can include warranty, repairs and servicing history and others. In an otherwise different environment it is quite impossible, or if possible, quite expensive to create this centralized information. But with DOI, owners can simply maintain a central DOI records which shall direct all the relevant information.

Like the scientific journals, it can be an article or a book or a piece of music and the library is the web. The DOI can be its card library number. The DOI can also be used on not just the product itself, but it can even point down to its last component. For instance, if used in a book, it can be used to the chapters, the pages, the selection and to the illustrations. The same can be applied to CDs and its tracks. The DOI can also link the licensing system to the native content files for their easy retrieval and for determining if the asset is owned by the publisher, the restrictions of the files and in searching for its marketing database.

The DOI can also be a medical record, ensuring not just security or confidentiality but also attaching it to the related records of the individual, such as insurance, hospital records, etc.

When it comes to sales and marketing, the DOI will bring the sales of products similar to selling on a customized level. For instance, for tour packages, the travel agencies may be able to break down the coverage of the tours for the client to choose the particular coverage of his choice.

DOI can also help online schools to stand out in the very crowded search engines. Stevens Institute of Technology’s Online Learning Dean Robert Ubell said about its using of DOI in all its e-learning graduate courses, “Students searching for distance learning programs on the Internet will now easily see our linked courses. We are especially excited about being the first to implement the technology in the online learning space (Stevens Institute, 2002)”. Stevens offers graduate certificate and masters degrees online in technology and management. DOI provides Stevens with persistent link wherein students can directly choose the courses with just one click. Information will include all the related courses, application, schedule and other services.

Since the use of the scientific journal industry, Content Directions, Inc., the first authorized vendor of DOI registration services, has started to work on several publishing industry and beyond. Its future works included investment banking, museums, manufacturers and telecommunications.

Third is the universality of its application. What has made DOI applicable and appealing not just to the publishing industry is its Multi Link feature (Sidman, 2002). This Multi link is what connects the DOI to everything related to it. Aside from this capability, this feature also makes access to information simple. In contrasts to URL’s pointing at only one direction, the DOI can point to several or all the resources by a single pop up menu via the global DOI directory.

Thus when it comes to its universal application, first there is the external link. This feature is quite beneficial to the site’s owner, customers and partners (Sidman, 2002). For instance, for the owner or manufacturer of a particular product, he can then direct the customer to the nearest shop the product is available. For the customer, he can learn about where the nearest accessory of the product is available to him, the nearest repair shop, etc.

Now, for internal link, the DOI can link the product to the whole system. From its date and place of manufacture, to its location in the warehouse, to its distribution, to its sales report, to its buyer, to its warranty and to its repair, the product’s DOI can be linked to the company or manufacturer’s management system. This allows the company’s business partners (e.g. retailers) to have access to the information relevant to their business, such as shipping status. The company can withhold confidential information at all levels and at the same time the links will not break on updating. One central DOI will be updated instead of the links.

Beyond its internal asset management function, the DOI can provide a universal ID number which can communicate to the whole system. This will be similar to the use of the barcode today. A product will have a universal ID or product code which shall carry all the information or the product from the time it was manufactured, to its distribution, to receiving, to inventory, to the store’s inventory, to its sale in the cash register, to the writing of financial systems at the head office (Sidman, 2002). Financial tracking and financial reporting, which includes goods shipped and sales by store and region, is then simplified.

Fourth are the additional opportunities for the CMS/Dam vendors. With the increasing number of companies shifting toward the use of DOI, this will mark an opportunity for CMS and DAM vendors. By incorporating DOI into CMS/DAM systems, CMS/DAM vendors can make their products even more attractive to the buyers. Moreover, the vendors can integrate their CMS or DAM directly to the registration facility of the Registration Agency. This is as simple exporting the metadata of the product from the CMS/DAM to the RA regularly. The vendors can then register and maintain the DOI on the Registration Agency’s registration/maintenance system.

             The advantages of DOI extends beyond the easy access of information, but for the vendors, once they have started using it they would definitely want to use its more advance features. Since DOI is capable on a granular basis, the vendors will soon use this capability on “experimenting” with the presentation of their products. They will mix and match different products and will increase the features sets they offer thru the CMS/DAM. This will, in turn, greatly increase their profit. On management level, the CMS/DAM vendors can offer higher level of value without sacrificing the cost to deal breaking levels of their customers. Further this will no longer strain the capabilities of CMS/DAM products. 

(part 1 of 2)