Data Science Resources

A DOI, or Digital Object Identifier, is a persistent identifier composed of a variety of numbers, letters, and symbols, which can be attached to an 'object.' The objects can be an online article, document, and even a dataset. Adding a DOI to your dataset will help the reader locate it more easily. Think of it as a social security number attached to your dataset. 

For material you'd like to have a DOI assigned to, you must use a service offered by a DOI Registration Agency (RA). RAs collect metadata, assign DOI names, and offer other services such as reference linking or metadata lookup. See the list of RAs, and contact the ones whose services best meet your needs. If you do not see an appropriate application listed, consider approaching an existing RA or developing a community to build the service you require (see the DOI Handbook, 8 Registration Agencies, for more information). You do not need to be a member of the International DOI Foundation in order to work with an RA.

For datasets, the Figshare, Zenodo, and Dryad repositories will provide DOI for works that include datasets. In addition, there may be domain-specific repository providing a DOI for datasets. The journal Scientific Data maintains a good list of repositories you can look at.