UQ eSpace: manage your research outputs and datasets

DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier.

A DOI is a digital identifier that permanently identifies content and related metadata for an object. DOIs resolve to web locations where the objects they describe can be found. Information about a digital object may change over time, including where to find it and who owns it, but its DOI will not change.

The benefits of a DOI include greater discoverability and access to uniquely identified content, accessibility for long-term use and citation of research outputs and research data for impact analysis.

A DOI has three important elements:

1. A DOI name, which is an alphanumeric string, starting with ‘10.’. For example, 10.14264/uql.2020.513
2. A URL, which can be accessed by adding http://doi.org/ before the DOI name. For example, https://doi.org/10.14264/56cd22e
3. The URL resolves to a page where metadata (information about the object) is displayed. If the object is digital and open access it will be available for download from this page.

DOIs are an internationally recognised and supported standard, governed by the International DOI Foundation. DOIs at The University of Queensland are minted via the Crossref DOI service and the DataCite DOI service.  Currently UQ mints DataCite DOIs for datasets only.  

The Library can mint a DOI for scholarly works produced by current staff and HDR students at The University of Queensland.  The works must have been deposited into UQ eSpace, and must have been published by The University of Queensland, including all internal organisational units associated with the University, or include The University of Queensland as one of the co-publishers where multiple publishers have contributed. The item must not include a DOI previously minted by UQ or an external organisation/publisher.

DOIs can be minted for:

• books
• book chapters (must be in a UQ-published book that has an existing book DOI minted by UQ)
• journals
• conference papers (fully published only)
• working papers
• department technical reports
• research reports
• theses
• data collections

Conferred Higher Degree by Research (HDR) theses available in UQ eSpace are systematically assigned a DOI.  Research datasets manually deposited to UQ eSpace or generated via Research Data Manager (RDM) are also assigned DOIs. Batch-ingested theses, including non-HDR theses, are automatically assigned a DOI.  

1.  When adding a new published work that matches one of the types in the DOI eligibility list, and UQ is the publisher, request a DOI via the 'Notes' field on the UQ eSpace deposit form, prior to submitting the form.  A DOI will be minted for the work by the UQ eSpace team, and it will be visible on the view page for your work in UQ eSpace, including in the work citation. The UQ eSpace team will send you a courtesy notification that the DOI has been minted.  

2.  For existing UQ eSpace works, published by The University of Queensland:

• Click on the REQUEST CORRECTION button next to the work in your My Works list
• Select the option 'I am an author/editor of this work - I would like to add information, make a correction, or upload files'
• At 'Suggest a correction': Request that eSpace mints a DOI for the work.  You can ask to be informed when this is done, but make sure your email address is included.
• Click on the SUBMIT button
• A member of the UQ eSpace team will mint the DOI, usually on the same day as requested, and send you a courtesy notification that the DOI has been minted.

3.  To request a pre-publication DOI for works, published by The University of Queensland, and not yet publicly released, or works that include an embargo:
Contact UQ eSpace and provide the metadata for the work
The metadata for the work becomes available publicly via Crossref (DOI minting organisation) once the DOI is minted, so UQ eSpace will create a 'restricted access' record for the work, mint a DOI on your behalf just prior to public release of the work, and provide you with the DOI for inclusion on the work itself. 
The full content file for the work can be uploaded and released publicly, as required, on further advice from authors of the work. 
Note:  It is possible to make the metadata publicly available and the content file restricted.  

Self-deposit of works to UQ eSpace is limited to current staff and HDR students after login.

Theses authored by non-HDR students can be deposited to UQ eSpace and DOIs minted for discoverability, via an agreement between Faculties, Schools, Centres and Institutes and the Library.  The agreement involves Faculties, Schools, Centres and Institutes providing required metadata for each thesis (via a template from the Library) and PDF copies of the theses for upload.  The thesis records are created and DOIs minted in UQ eSpace via a batch ingest process managed by the Library.  

Please note: Requests from Faculties, Schools, Centres or Institutes for upload of non-HDR theses will be progressed according to UQ eSpace priorities and processing capacity. Meeting of deadlines cannot be guaranteed, but best efforts will be made to meet client needs.

Deposit of other work types, e.g. reports, may be discussed with the Library, and best efforts will be made to ensure that these can be accommodated, according to Library priorities.

Please email espace@library.uq.edu.au for further information.