IGSN identifier

An IGSN identifier (or IGSN ID) is a type of handle system handle that takes the form of a string divided into two parts (prefix and suffix), separated by a slash:

prefix/suffix

The prefix identifies a repository and thus also the registrant of the identifier. It is usually in the form 10.XXXX, where XXXX is at least a four-digit number greater than or equal to 1000. The 10 in the prefix identifies the handle as part of the DOI namespace, as opposed to another handle system namespace.

The suffix is chosen by the registrant and identifies the specific sample linked to the IGSN.

Most permissible Unicode characters are allowed in prefix and suffix, which are interpreted independently of upper and lower case.

Example:

For the IGSN ID 10.58030/kielbot0007007 the prefix is 10.58030 and the suffix is kielbot0007007.

How to display IGSN IDs

Note

The display guidance is based on DataCite’s best practices.

IGSN ID long display form

Like DOIs, the canonical form of an IGSN ID is a complete https://doi.org/ URL using the form:

https://doi.org/10.58030/kielbot0007007

See DataCite IGSN Display Guidelines for more information about displaying IGSN IDs.

IGSN ID short display form

IGSN IDs are sometimes displayed in locations where a complete https://doi.org/ URL is not appropriate. In these cases, IGSN IDs should be displayed with only the DOI prefix and suffix:

igsn:10.58030/kielbot0007007

Note

The short display form should be typically preceded by an igsn: tag to specify that it is an IGSN ID. However, in cases where IGSN IDs are already clearly denoted, such as in the column header of a data table, the preceding igsn: tag may be excluded from the short display form.

Hyperlinking IGSN IDs

Where possible, all representations of IGSN IDs should be hyperlinked with the IGSN ID’s complete DOI link. For example, https://doi.org/10.58030/kielbot0007007.

IGSN IDs in metadata

IGSN IDs encoded in metadata should contain the IGSN ID’s complete DOI URL. This includes IGSN IDs entered in DataCite Metadata Schema properties such as relatedIdentifier.

QR codes

QR codes for IGSN IDs should contain the complete DOI URL. For example, https://doi.org/10.58030/kielbot0007007.

If a QR code is applied to a sample or its container, the label should also display the IGSN ID short display form in a human-readable way.