Resolve the paper's DOI to its publisher landing page, read the license stated there, and cross-check the license field in the Unpaywall record for that DOI before you reuse the figure. A DOI resolves through the Handle System to current information supplied for the identified object, commonly a landing page maintained by the registrant, so that page is where the publisher's own license statement appears.
- Resolve the DOI. Open the DOI and confirm you have reached the landing page for the correct article. The result is the publisher's current record for that object.
- Read the license on the landing page. Look for the license statement or license link on the article page. The result is the license the publisher attaches to the article.
- Check the Unpaywall record. Unpaywall records describe open-access locations associated with a DOI, including host type, version, license information when available, and a selected best open-access location. Note the license field and the version it describes.
- Compare the two. If the landing page and the Unpaywall record state the same license, record that license. If they differ or the Unpaywall license field is empty, treat the license as unresolved and use the publisher landing page as your next verification point.
- Confirm the terms for figure reuse. Read the license terms for what they permit for figures specifically, then write the license you confirmed into your permissions record alongside the figure and its source.
For open-access journals, DOAJ provides searchable article and journal records for open-access journals that meet its inclusion criteria, which can help you identify the journal's open-access status. Use the license stated for the specific article when you record permissions.