Published 16 September 2026
Why a DOI may not resolve
An error after following a DOI does not have one universal meaning. The identifier may be wrong, or its registration record may remain valid while the publisher destination is broken.
Check every character
A DOI often acquires a full stop, bracket or space from the surrounding sentence. OCR can replace a Latin O with zero or remove a hyphen. Compare the string with the article’s first page and avoid DOI values from its reference list.
Separate resolution from registration
Enter the DOI at doi.org and inspect metadata at an agency such as Crossref. If a record exists but the publisher site fails, the problem is at the destination. If no agency record is found, another registrar or a wrong identifier remains possible.
Avoid a premature conclusion
Network failures and update delays can change. Record the date and response, repeat later and search by title. Reporting an unavailable destination is more accurate than automatically stating that the publication is absent.
Example
Crossref returns DOI metadata, but the publisher destination responds with HTTP 503. Report this as “registration record found; destination temporarily unavailable”, not “DOI does not exist”. Preserve the response, date and address, then repeat the check later.
Verification sources
- DOI Foundation — DOI resolverResolves a registered DOI to the destination chosen by its registrant.
- Crossref Metadata SearchBibliographic metadata deposited by participating publishers and agencies.