Resolve the paper's DOI to its landing page and check that page and any open-access location record for a stated license; if neither states a license covering the figure, treat reuse as unresolved and contact the rights holder before publishing. 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 the first place to look.
- Resolve the DOI. Follow the DOI to its landing page. Expected result: you reach the registrant's page for that specific article, not a search result or a repository copy.
- Read the landing page for a license statement. Look for a license name or link near the article metadata, the PDF, or a rights and permissions section. Expected result: either a named license or no license statement.
- Check the open-access location record. If the article has an open-access copy, look up its record by DOI. 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. Expected result: a license field for that location, or a record without one.
- Confirm the license covers figures and states the attribution required. Read the license terms for the figure and for the credit line it requires. Expected result: you can name the license and write the attribution text it specifies.
- Decide. If a license on the landing page or the open-access record covers the figure, reuse it under those terms and include the required attribution. If no license is stated, or the stated license does not cover the figure, the reuse status is unresolved; contact the rights holder for permission before the deadline.
For open-access journals, DOAJ provides searchable article and journal records for journals that meet its inclusion criteria, which can help you identify the journal's open-access status. A journal's open-access status does not by itself state the license for a specific figure, so the license text on the article page or location record remains the item to confirm.
When you reuse the figure, include the attribution exactly as the license specifies, naming the license and the creator or source as required. If the license requires a link to the license text, place it with the credit line.