Metadata formats and export, identifiers, CRediT tags, bibliographic references, JATS XML or equivalent

Metadata formats and export, identifiers, CRediT tags, bibliographic references, JATS XML or equivalent

/ Wed, 07/31/2024 - 13:58

Abstract

These guidelines will help Diamond OA publishers and journals implement the Diamond Open Access Standard’s (DOAS) requirements and recommendations regarding metadata and full text formats.

The following topics are covered: 

  • how to make sure that article-level metadata are complete, rich, readable to humans and machines and exposed in a way that facilitates their use and dissemination;
  • cited references as metadata and open metadata initiatives (I4OC and I4OA)
  • displaying persistent identifiers
  • registering a DOI;
  • full-text formats.


Please note that the guidelines explain requirements and recommendations in general terms, while platform-specific technical instructions can be found in the list of references.

Main Text

Displaying the core metadata 

According to DOAS, journals should clearly display the core article metadata on article landing pages:

  • article title(s), 
  • full names and institutional affiliations of authors, 
  • abstracts
  • keywords
  • journal title
  • ISSN and/or eISSN
  • the publisher’s name 
  • publication date
  • article number and volume, issue and pagination (if used)
  • funding information (as a minimum the name of the funder and the grant number/identifier) and preferably the funder’s persistent identifier (ROR)
  • information about the open access status, copyright holder and licensing
  • persistent identifiers for the publication (DOI), authors and contributors (ORCID) and preferably for author affiliations (ROR).


It is also recommended to indicate author roles (e.g. according to the CRediT taxonomy) on the article landing page and in the full text.

If a journal is published using an online journal management system, the metadata entered into the system in the publishing process will be automatically displayed on article landing pages. Metadata should be accurate and complete (e.g. affiliations should contain the full name and address of the institution) and all persistent identifiers and the license information should be displayed as active links in line with relevant guidelines.

Metadata should also be machine-readable, which is achieved by embedding them into the source code of web pages as HTML meta tags and exposing them via metadata exchange protocols in standard metadata formats  (e.g. XML, JSON, HTML, CSV). Meta tags make it easier for search engines like Google to index web pages. In commonly used free and open source (FOSS) journal management systems (Open Journal Systems, Janeway), meta tags can be automatically generated if the system is properly configured and/or the necessary plugins are used. 

Some FOSS journal management systems (OJS, Janeway) support Open Access Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) and can expose structured metadata in the XML format, making it possible for aggregators (e.g. BASE, OpenAIRE) to harvest large amounts of metadata at once. 

To ensure optimal dissemination, metadata should be released in the public domain (e.g. by using  Creative Commons CC0 Public Domain Dedication license). Diamond OA publishers and journal editors should make sure that the license is clearly indicated on the website, along with the OAI-PMH endpoint (the URL where the structured metadata are exposed) and/or any instructions on how to harvest metadata.


Tips: 

  • If the metadata are provided in multiple languages, create a dedicated web page for each language. 
  • To check whether meta tags are properly configured, use the “View page source” option in the browser or try to capture metadata using a standard reference management application (e.g. Zotero).
  • Use an OAI-PMH validator (e.g. OAI-PMH Validator, Oval) to check whether the protocol is properly configured. 
  • If the Diamond OA publisher or journals is planning to use a journal management software on the software-as-a-service basis [see Choosing a platform], they should ask whether the service provider has enabled meta tags and metadata exchange protocols.


Cited references 

Displaying a list of references on the article landing page, along with the core metadata, is highly recommended. References must conform to a citation style specified in the author guidelines. When deciding which citation style to use in their journals(s), Diamond OA publishers and journals should give preference to those that include DOI or URL in reference list entries (e.g. APA, Chicago) and always display DOIs and URLs as links.


Registering DOIs

In order to assign DOIs to articles, Diamond OA  publishers should make an arrangement with a DOI registration agency or a DOI service provider (organisation authorised to register DOIs), which usually involves a membership fee and a fee charged  for each DOI. When registering a DOI, article metadata are deposited in a DOI registry. This should be done at the moment when the article is published online, without delay. In some FOSS journal management systems (OJS, Janeway), DOI registration is automated, which means that DOIs can be registered within the system.

The deposited metadata should be rich: include abstracts, persistent identifiers and cited references, and make abstracts and references open in line with the Initiative for Open Abstracts and the Initiative for Open Citations. If you are unable to ensure this now due to limited resources or any other reason, this should be a high priority for the future.


Full-text formats

Most publishers provide full text only in the camera-ready PDF format and the quality of files varies. Here are some tips on how to improve the quality and usability of PDFs:

  • Make sure that PDF files are compliant with the PDF/A standard. This can be done by setting up export options in the text editor.
  • Use open-source fonts that support Unicode.
  • Don’t convert text to outlines when creating PDF files.
  • Don’t limit access to the PDF version of the article (e.g. by setting passwords or restricting printing, copying, etc.)


The Diamond Open Access Standard (DOAS) recommends providing the full text of the published articles in multiple formats, at least one of which is suitable for long-term preservation. This can be achieved by tagging full-text content in the XML JATS and then converting it to PDF, HTML and/or ePub. XML JATS files should include structured article metadata, as well as the CRediT information and conflict of interest statements.

Diamond OA publishers who cannot afford XML JATS coding should include it in their plans for the future and should keep exploring available options (e.g. new tools or service providers offering this service at an affordable fee).


Tips:

  • All persistent identifiers used in the full text should be displayed as active links.
  • Include copyright and license information in the full text. Display the license as an active link.


Related toolsuite articles

Related guidelines and training materials

References 


Further reading


Licensing

This article is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

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Tags
Accessibility
Copyright
Free and open-source software
Indexing / indexation
Interoperability
Licensing
Metadata
Metadata and file formats
Persistent identifiers
Visibility