The fastest way is to resolve the DOI to its landing page, pull the deposited metadata from the Crossref record for that DOI, and cross-check the two before you format the citation. A DOI name resolves through the Handle System to current information supplied for the identified object, commonly a landing page maintained by the registrant. Crossref exposes deposited scholarly metadata through its REST API, and a DOI lookup returns the metadata deposited for that DOI.
- Resolve the DOI. Follow the DOI name through the Handle System to reach the landing page the registrant maintains. Expected result: a page for the identified object, which gives you the publisher's presentation of the work.
- Look up the DOI in Crossref. Query the Crossref works route for that DOI. Expected result: the deposited metadata record, which supplies fields such as authors, title, journal, and year.
- Cross-check the two sources. Compare the landing page against the Crossref record field by field, starting with authors, title, journal, and year. Expected result: agreement on the core fields, or a clear note of which field differs and needs a decision before you format.
- Format the citation. Apply the rules and structured examples for the relevant publication type in a style guide such as Citing Medicine, which covers journal articles, books, conference material, databases, websites, and datasets.
Why the two-step check matters. The landing page and the Crossref record come from different places: the landing page is maintained by the registrant, while the Crossref record holds the metadata deposited for the DOI. When the two agree on authors, title, journal, and year, you can format with confidence. When a field differs, treat that field as unresolved and check the object itself or the publisher's record before you commit the citation.