Here you'll find more about the process and requirements for signing up for DataCite UK.

The British Library DataCite service can only have contractual agreements with organisations and not individuals. If you are a researcher who would like DOIs for your research outputs, you should contact your institution or relevant discipline data centre for advice.

If your institution is not working with DataCite UK, then please email us to discuss your requirements further. There is also the option to become a direct DataCite member. For more information please contact DataCite directly.

If you represent an organisation and want to know the process for signing up for DataCite UK, these are the steps you need to follow:

Decide whether DataCite DOIs are right for your organisation and its content

You should consider whether you meet these basic requirements:

• You have the authority to assign DOIs to the content
• You can guarantee its persistence
• The content is accessible to external users
• The content has citation potential.

You must also be able to commit to ongoing responsibilities:

• Provide and maintain at least the mandatory DataCite metadata for each item with a DOI
• Make metadata openly available without restriction (under Creative Commons Zero waiver)
• Maintain a publicly accessible landing page for each item with a DOI
• Ensure the DOI is updated as the landing page moves.

For more detail, take a look at these Guides to choosing persistent identifiers.

Test account (optional)

You have the option to find out more before making a final decision by requesting access to a test account. The test account allows you to register temporary DOIs and to explore how the service fits within your workflows. Find out more about Test Accounts.

Contract and costs

The next step is to enter into a contract with the British Library. Contracts are for an initial term of three years; a period that indicates a level of commitment from both parties. Institutions are charged a fixed annual fee which allows them to register an unlimited number of DOIs.

The current fee is £1,500.00 per year, plus VAT. In the first year of the agreement, there is a one-off setup fee of £200.00, plus VAT. However, in early 2021 we will be implementing a new model. This means that when the transition to Consortium Membership is complete, the annual cost for organisations in our consortium will be lower: 600.00 GBP + 500 EUR +VAT, billed in a single invoice annually with the EUR charge converted to GBP at the British Library's official exchange rate.

Implementing DataCite DOIs

Once the contract is agreed, we will provide you with a Metadata Store account and unique DOI prefix so that you can begin assigning DOIs.

If you are not based in the UK, please check the DataCite website to discover if there are members based in your country.

If there is currently no DataCite representative in your country, please email us directly and we will advise you further.