Document the citation against the DOI-identified object and record the failed landing-page access as a separate access note, so the citation remains tied to the identified report while the retrieval problem is visible. The DOI Handbook explains that a DOI name resolves through the Handle System to current information supplied for the identified object, commonly a landing page maintained by the registrant. A resolving DOI therefore confirms that the identifier still points to the registrant's current information; it does not mean the publisher's original page is still available.
- Confirm the object's identity from deposited metadata. Look up the DOI in the Crossref REST API. A DOI lookup returns the metadata deposited for that DOI, such as title, authors, and publication details. Use those fields to verify that the DOI identifies the report your team cited. If the deposited metadata matches your citation, keep the citation anchored to that DOI.
- Record the failed landing-page access. In a separate access note, state the date you attempted to open the publisher page and what happened (for example, the page was missing or returned an error). This note documents the access problem without changing the citation's identity.
- Preserve the copy actually reviewed where policy allows. If your organization's policy permits retaining a copy of the report you reviewed, keep it with the access note. Label it as the copy reviewed on the retrieval date.
- Check for an open-access copy if needed. CORE aggregates open-access research outputs and offers discovery services for finding repository copies of scholarly work. Use it to locate an alternative copy, and record any copy you find as a separate access note rather than replacing the DOI-based citation.
The citation should remain tied to the DOI-identified object, and the access problem should be documented separately in the access note.