Frequently asked questions

• DOI basics
• Quick tools
• Troubleshooting

DOI basics

A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a stable, unique ID for a scholarly item (article, book chapter, dataset, report). It still works if a webpage changes.

Why it’s useful

• Reliable for citing and sharing
• Helps you find an item again later
• Commonly inlcuded in citations (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)

Where to find it

• Often on the first page of the article PDF or on the publisher’s page
• If you can’t find it, search Crossref by article title (not all items have DOIs)

DOIs in citations: Follow your citation style guide for when/how to include a DOI.

Quick tools: make a DOI link + find the reading

1. Build a standard DOI link (for citations and sharing)

Paste a DOI (starts with 10.) to create a clean https://doi.org/… link.

If this fails, use Tool #2 with the article title

2. Find it in LibrarySearch (best for MRU access)

Paste a DOI or an article title. If DOI search doesn’t find it, try the title.

Tip for instructors: For required readings, share the LibrarySearch permalink (from the item record) or add readings to a D2L reading list.

DOI link not working? Try this

Step-by-step

1. Search in LibrarySearch first. Paste the DOI in LibrarySearch. If nothing comes up, paste the title instead.
2. Open the item and sign in if prompted. You may need to sign in with MRU credentials to view the full text.
3. If you clicked a DOI and landed on the publisher page. Look for Institutional access, Sign in via institution, or OpenAthens.
4. Still not available? MRU may not have access. Request it through Interlibrary Loan.