TL;DR
If you’re looking to update your metadata records for your existing DOIs and want a targeted, lighter-weight method to update or enrich specific elements, then resource-only deposits might be an option for you.
Some background information about content registration
Academic and professional research travels further if it’s linked to the millions of other published papers. Crossref members register content with us to let the world know it exists, instead of creating thousands of bilateral agreements.
XML is king
No matter which content registration method is used (more on this below), your records will be registered using Crossref-formatted XML. So, if you are using a helper tool like OJS or our web deposit form, the fields where you are inputting metadata will be converted to our schema and registered and stored in Crossref XML. Here are our XML samples, so you can see exactly what Crossref-formatted input XML looks like and what we’re expecting in your registrations. Both of those links above are critical if you are considering direct deposit of your own XML.
Choosing your content registration method
One of the most important questions to answer when you’re getting started on your Crossref journey is: ‘which registration method will I use?’ For members brand new to us, you may be wrestling with this very question today. As you’ll see from this post and our documentation, there is a lot of self selection throughout this process (think of it as a choose your own adventure). You’ll need to find a workflow for registering and updating your metadata that fits your team and your resources; one that you’re all comfortable with.
OJS, a helper tool made by our colleagues at PKP, or creating and registering your own XML? Crossref’s new Metadata Manager helper tool or maybe a combination of registration tools/methods based on the record type you are registering? These can be challenging questions. You might be asking yourself: ‘why are there so many options?’ Well, our goal is to accommodate as many use cases and users as possible. Some of our members are comfortable and have the necessary technical resources to produce and deposit their own Crossref-formatted XML. Others, less so. For those members, we’ve developed helper tools to assist.
Here’s a list of all of available content registration methods:
Crossref helper tools
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New Metadata Manager (previously known as the record registration form)
Third-party helper tools
Content registration instructions for direct deposit of XML
Updating the metadata of your existing records
To update, enrich, or correct the metadata deposited for an existing DOI record, you will need to redeposit the DOI with the correct metadata included. We’ll never charge you for metadata updates of an existing record. Updating metadata can be done wholesale with a full XML resubmission, if you deposit your own XML. Or, if you are using a helper tool, you’ll need to update the specific metadata element in question and resubmit the metadata to us. For web deposit form users, updating a record means re-keying all of that metadata back into the form and then resubmitting it to us. As we know, that’s not the most efficient method to update a metadata record. If you’re a helper tool user updating journal articles or grants and aren’t quite ready for resource-only deposits, then our new metadata manager tool can save you some key strokes the next time you’re updating or enriching your records.
Resource-only deposits
Resource-only deposits are targeted, lighter-weight methods of updating or enriching specific elements. These types of deposits are a way of adding or updating certain elements in an existing metadata deposit without having to do a full metadata redeposit. Even if you’re not ready to tackle a full XML registration, resource-only deposits might be a time saver! You may find a resource-only deposit useful for adding or updating the following:
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Relationships between different research objects
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A resolution URL must be included in all metadata records and cannot be updated using a resource-only deposit. However, the following additional URLs may be added using a resource-only deposit:
Common questions related to resource-only deposits
Why can’t I add abstracts to my journal articles or ORCID iDs to my contributors’ metadata using resource-only deposits?
Resource-only deposits use the resource-only section of the schema. Unfortunately, neither abstracts nor contributor metadata, including ORCID iDs, are coded in the resource-only section of the schema. The resource-only deposit option is not available to all metadata elements because of how the schema is structured. Abstracts and contributors’ ORCID iDs are two examples.
Why can’t I update my main resolution URLs and Similarity Check full-text URLs in the same file?
Like the previous question, this has to do with the structure of the schema. Those resolution URLs are stored in the main section of the schema, not in the resource-only section of the schema. Thus, they require different methods to be updated. Resolution URLs can be bulk updated in a target method too. They’re just not updated with a resource-only deposit. Comparatively, since Similarity Check full text URLs are stored in the resource-only section of the metadata, they can be updated with a resource-only deposit. Here’s an example Similarity Check full text URL resource-only deposit file.
I want to update the license information registered in my metadata records easily. What are my options?
License information is stored in the resource-only section of the schema, so they can be updated with a resource-only deposit. Like many other examples in this post, you have options available to you if you’re ready to update your license information. You can either create your own resource-only XML deposit, like this example, or you can input that information into a .csv file in our web deposit form. In the form and throughout our documentation, we refer to this as a supplemental metadata upload, which it is, but under the hood we will be converting that .csv file to a resource-only registration for you. You can follow these steps once you have your .csv file ready:
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Start at the web deposit form
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Under data type selection, choose supplemental metadata upload
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Log in using your Crossref account credentials in the appropriate fields
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Click the choose file button next to csv file information and select your .csv file for upload
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Enter the email address that should receive the submission log email
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Click upload csv data
Some initial validation relating to formatting is performed upon upload. Incomplete or incorrect files will return an error message, and will not be deposited. If the file passes the initial validation, it will be converted to XML (a resource-only deposit), and registered with us. Additional validation is performed upon deposit.
You will receive a submission log via email when your deposit is complete. Please review the log to be sure your DOIs have been updated successfully.
This .csv conversion using the supplemental upload within the web deposit form is also an option for a few other resources: funding, Similarity Check full-text URLs, and STM-article sharing framework (stm-asf) license metadata. You can learn more here.
Thanks for reading,
Isaac