Re: [urn] DOI URN namespace registration

["Hakala, Juha E" <[e-mail]>]

Hello Dale; all, 

some comments below. 

-----Alkuperäinen viesti-----
Lähettäjä: urn <[e-mail]> Puolesta Dale R. Worley
Lähetetty: maanantai 25. toukokuuta 2020 4.21
Vastaanottaja: John Levine <[e-mail]>
Kopio: [e-mail]
Aihe: Re: [urn] DOI URN namespace registration

"John Levine" <[e-mail]> writes:
> ...
> Given that DOIs are usually resolved by looking up URLs, it is clear 
> that in practice they are compatible with URLs because they *are* 
> URLs.
> ...

Unless they've retroactively removed non-ASCII characters from being valid in DOIs, then it's certain that DOIs *aren't* URLs, and quite possible that nobody has ever properly specified how DOIs are mapped into URLs for lookup.

Juha: DOI handbook, section 2.5 (https://www.doi.org/doi_handbook/2_Numbering.html#2.5) requires that DOIs expressed as URIs must follow URI syntax, including percent encoding. Since DOI is an actionable identifier, URI presentation is a default presentation for DOIs. 

Although the default character set for all Handles, including DOIs, is Unicode, almost all DOIs rely on printable ASCII character sets.  

> Beyond the case sensitivity thing which I think is a red herring, I 
> would ask why they're asking for a DOI URN rather than a handle URN 
> since they're the same namespace.

Juha: Handle and DOI are different identifier systems although they share the same technical base. DOI system is administered by International DOI Foundation, and they have the mandate to register a URN namespace for DOI (and asked me to help in the process). Handle system and Handle specifications are managed by DONA Foundation, and they have not required registration of a URN namespace for Handles. 

Handle.net resolver already supports both urn:doi and urn:handle URNs, so I expect that DONA Foundation or a third party mandated by it may start urn:handle registration process in the future. 

DONA Foundation is revising the Handle specifications, but so far no drafts have been made publicly available for comments. 

Best regards, 

Juha

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