Position paper · July 2026
Persistent identifiers (PIDs) have become central to national and international open research strategies, but identifiers aloneâhowever well-designedâcannot deliver the connected, open record that research depends on. Effective research infrastructure rests on three interdependent elements: open, persistent identifiers; rich, open, and linked metadata; and the sustainable governance and operation of the organisations involved. Crossref urges policymakers to evaluate PID infrastructure holistically, looking beyond the identifier itself to the metadata, services, interoperability, and long-term sustainability that provide the real-world value sought.
National and international PID strategies are multiplying, and the decisions being made now will shape the scholarly record for decades. Those decisions are often framed as a choice of identifier; what is really being chosen is infrastructure: the metadata, services, governance, and community commitment that sustain the record over time. Choosing shared, open infrastructure never means lock-inâopenly licensed metadata and community governance safeguard sovereignty by design. This paper sets out what we think that choice involves, with worked examples from the UK, Portugal, Canada, and South Africa.
Understand how infrastructure choices shape the long-term success of a research strategy. The macro view: why identifiers, metadata, and governance need to be evaluated together.
Know what to require before a decision is made. Criteria for evaluating PID infrastructure as a whole, including interoperability, sustainability, and governance.
Learn what good implementation looks like before you commit. Practical requirements for the metadata and services that make an identifier system useful in daily operation.
PIDs are a means to an end. The value of an identifier system lies in the richness of its associated metadata, the scalability of the services it enables, and the needs it meets for the communities it serves.
PIDs can be complementary rather than competitive. Research uses many identifier types; they coexist productively, each serving the community and use case for which they were designed.
Not all DOIs are equivalent. Different DOI Registration Agencies offer fundamentally different services, metadata, and governance. Concrete requirements and expected outcomes for each entity being identifiedânot just identifier typeâare therefore essential in any policy or implementation.
Interoperability is critical. Implementing identifier systems without evaluating their interoperability undermines the goal of a connected research record. National strategies must ensure that proposed PID infrastructure connects to the broader global research ecosystem.
Sustainability and governance matter as much as technical standards. Community governance and demonstrated financial resilience should be taken into account in any assessment of infrastructure organisations.
Open infrastructureânot PID adoption aloneâis the foundation of a connected, open research record. Strategies should measure success based on the openness, connectivity, and reach of the surrounding infrastructure and its services.
We welcome dialogue with policymakers, funders, national bodies, and others developing open research infrastructure adoption strategies: start a discussion on our community forum or contact our community team.
