OSF

OSF Identifiers API

Identifiers are unique strings associated with various entities in the OSF system, such as project nodes, registrations or preprints. Identifiers serve as a means to distinctly reference these entities using standardized formats like DOI (Digital Object Identifier). Each identifier is linked to a specific entity, providing a persistent and resolvable URL that can be used for citation, sharing, and retrieval purposes. Identifiers play a crucial role in ensuring that entities within the OSF ecosystem can be reliably accessed and referenced across different platforms and services. By adhering to widely recognized standards, identifiers facilitate interoperability and integration with external systems, enhancing the visibility and accessibility of research outputs. The Identifiers system allows users to access both Datacite and Crossref for DOI minting services and stores detailed metadata about each identifier, including its category, value, and the entity it is associated with. This ensures that users can effectively manage and utilize identifiers in their research workflows, promoting transparency and traceability of scholarly work.

Documentation GitHub OpenAPI

Operations 5

GET /nodes/{node_id}/identifiers/ Retrieve Identifiers for a Node #

POST /nodes/{node_id}/identifiers/ Mint a New Identifier for a Node #

GET /preprints/{preprint_id}/identifiers/ List identifiers for a preprint #

GET /identifiers/{identifier_id}/ Retrieve a Specific Identifier #

GET /identifiers/{node_id}/identifiers/ List all identifiers #

Specifications

⚙

OpenAPI

https://artifacts.apis.io/osf/openapi/osf-identifiers-api-openapi.yml

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OpenAPI Specification

openapi: 3.2.0
info:
  title: OSF APIv2 Documentation Identifiers API
  description: This is the official documentation for the OSF (Open Science Framework) API v2.
  version: '2.0'
  termsOfService: https://osf.io/terms_of_use/
  contact:
    name: OSF Support Team
    email: support@osf.io
    url: https://help.osf.io/
  license:
    name: Apache 2.0
    url: http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
  x-logo:
    url: https://cdn.cos.io/media/images/cos_center_logo_small.original.png
    backgroundColor: transparent
servers:
- url: https://api.test.osf.io/v2
tags:
- name: Identifiers
  description: Identifiers are unique strings associated with various entities in the OSF system, such as project nodes, registrations or preprints.
paths:
  /nodes/{node_id}/identifiers/:
    get:
      summary: Retrieve Identifiers for a Node
      description: 'Retrieve a list of all identifiers (such as DOIs or ARKs) associated with the specified node.

        Identifiers are unique strings that reference the node in external systems. These can include persistent identifiers such as DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers) or ARKs (Archival Resource Keys).

        #### Response Structure

        The response returns a JSON object containing the following top-level keys:


        - `data`: An array of identifier resources.

        - `links`: Pagination links (if applicable).


        Each item in the `data` array is a distinct identifier object, containing details such as the identifier `category` (e.g., `doi`, `ark`), its `value`, and links to the associated node.

        #### Filtering

        You may filter the returned identifiers by category using the `filter[category]` query parameter.

        **Example:**

        Supported filter categories include:

        - `doi` - Digital Object Identifier

        - `ark` - Archival Resource Key


        #### Permissions


        - This endpoint is public for nodes that are public.

        - Authentication is required to access identifiers on private nodes, and the authenticated user must have read access.'
      parameters:
      - in: path
        name: node_id
        required: true
        description: The unique identifier of the node for which you want to retrieve associated identifiers.
        schema:
          type: string
      tags:
      - Identifiers
      operationId: nodes_identifiers_list
      x-response-schema: Identifier
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Successful retrieval of identifiers.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: array
                items:
                  type: object
                  title: Identifier
                  description: Representation of an identifier entity within the OSF API.
                  properties:
                    id:
                      type: string
                      readOnly: true
                      description: Unique identifier for the identifier entity.
                    type:
                      type: string
                      readOnly: true
                      description: Resource type, always `identifiers` for identifier entities.
                    attributes:
                      type: object
                      title: Attributes
                      readOnly: true
                      description: Attributes of the identifier entity, including category and value.
                      properties:
                        category:
                          type: string
                          enum:
                          - doi
                          readOnly: true
                          description: The category of the identifier, such as ARK or DOI.
                        value:
                          type: string
                          readOnly: true
                          description: The actual value of the identifier.
                    relationships:
                      type: object
                      title: Relationships
                      readOnly: true
                      description: Relationships to other entities, indicating the node this identifier refers to.
                      properties:
                        referent:
                          type: object
                          description: Relationship object linking to the node associated with this identifier.
                          properties:
                            links:
                              type: object
                              properties:
                                related:
                                  type: string
                                  format: url
                                  description: URL to the related node.
                    links:
                      type: object
                      title: Links
                      readOnly: true
                      description: Links to representations of the identifier entity.
                      properties:
                        self:
                          type: string
                          format: url
                          readOnly: true
                          description: URL to the detail page for this identifier.
              example:
                data:
                - id: 57f1641db83f6901ed94b459
                  type: identifiers
                  attributes:
                    category: doi
                    value: 10.17605/OSF.IO/73PND
                  relationships:
                    referent:
                      links:
                        related:
                          href: https://api.osf.io/v2/nodes/73pnd/
                          meta: {}
                  links:
                    self: https://api.osf.io/v2/identifiers/57f1641db83f6901ed94b459/
                - id: 57f1641db83f6901ed94b45a
                  type: identifiers
                  attributes:
                    category: ark
                    value: c7605/osf.io/73pnd
                  relationships:
                    referent:
                      links:
                        related:
                          href: https://api.osf.io/v2/nodes/73pnd/
                          meta: {}
                  links:
                    self: https://api.osf.io/v2/identifiers/57f1641db83f6901ed94b45a/
                links:
                  first: null
                  last: null
                  prev: null
                  next: null
                  meta:
                    total: 2
                    per_page: 10
    post:
      summary: Mint a New Identifier for a Node
      description: 'Mint (create) a new identifier for the specified node.

        Currently, the OSF supports minting **DOI** identifiers through this endpoint. Once created, identifiers are permanent and cannot be modified or deleted.

        #### Supported Identifier Categories


        - `doi`: Digital Object Identifier.


        #### Requirements


        - You must have **Admin** or **Write** permissions on the node.

        - The node must be **public** and must **not** be a collection or folder.

        - Only nodes representing individual projects or components are eligible for DOI creation.


        #### Example Request Payload


        ```json

        {

        "data": {

        "type": "identifiers",

        "attributes": {

        "category": "doi"

        }

        }

        }

        ```


        #### Permissions

        - Only authenticated users with the required permissions can mint new identifiers.

        - This endpoint is does not authenticate for nodes that are private or not publicly available.'
      operationId: nodes_identifiers_create
      tags:
      - Identifiers
      parameters:
      - in: path
        name: node_id
        required: true
        description: The unique identifier of the node for which you want to create an identifier.
        schema:
          type: string
      responses:
        '201':
          description: Identifier successfully created.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: object
                title: Identifier
                description: Representation of an identifier entity within the OSF API.
                properties:
                  id:
                    type: string
                    readOnly: true
                    description: Unique identifier for the identifier entity.
                  type:
                    type: string
                    readOnly: true
                    description: Resource type, always `identifiers` for identifier entities.
                  attributes:
                    type: object
                    title: Attributes
                    readOnly: true
                    description: Attributes of the identifier entity, including category and value.
                    properties:
                      category:
                        type: string
                        enum:
                        - doi
                        readOnly: true
                        description: The category of the identifier, such as ARK or DOI.
                      value:
                        type: string
                        readOnly: true
                        description: The actual value of the identifier.
                  relationships:
                    type: object
                    title: Relationships
                    readOnly: true
                    description: Relationships to other entities, indicating the node this identifier refers to.
                    properties:
                      referent:
                        type: object
                        description: Relationship object linking to the node associated with this identifier.
                        properties:
                          links:
                            type: object
                            properties:
                              related:
                                type: string
                                format: url
                                description: URL to the related node.
                  links:
                    type: object
                    title: Links
                    readOnly: true
                    description: Links to representations of the identifier entity.
                    properties:
                      self:
                        type: string
                        format: url
                        readOnly: true
                        description: URL to the detail page for this identifier.
              example:
                data:
                  id: 57f1641db83f6901ed94b459
                  type: identifiers
                  attributes:
                    category: doi
                    value: 10.17605/OSF.IO/73PND
                  relationships:
                    referent:
                      links:
                        related:
                          href: https://api.osf.io/v2/nodes/73pnd/
                          meta: {}
                  links:
                    self: https://api.osf.io/v2/identifiers/57f1641db83f6901ed94b459/
        '400':
          description: "Bad Request. Possible reasons include:\n - The node already has a DOI identifier.\n - The requested identifier category is not supported (only `doi` is allowed).\n - The node is not eligible for DOI creation (e.g., it's a folder or collection)."
        '403':
          description: "Forbidden. You do not have permission to create identifiers on this node. This may occur if:\n - The node is private.\n - You do not have Admin or Write access to the node."
        '404':
          description: Node not found. Verify the node ID is correct and that you have permission to view the node.
        '405':
          description: Returned if write access to this node has been restricted. The response will include the message "This action is no longer available. Contact support if you have any questions."
  /preprints/{preprint_id}/identifiers/:
    get:
      summary: List identifiers for a preprint
      description: 'Retrieves a list of identifiers associated with the specified preprint. Identifiers include DOIs, ARKs, and other unique resource locators.

        #### Permissions

        - Public identifiers are accessible to unauthenticated users.

        - Private preprints require read access to view their identifiers.'
      tags:
      - Identifiers
      operationId: preprint_identifiers_list
      parameters:
      - name: preprint_id
        in: path
        required: true
        description: The unique identifier of the preprint.
        schema:
          type: string
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Successful retrieval of preprint identifiers.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: object
                properties:
                  data:
                    type: array
                    items:
                      type: object
                      required:
                      - id
                      - type
                      - attributes
                      properties:
                        id:
                          type: string
                          description: The identifier value itself.
                          example: doi:10.1234/osf.io/abcde
                        type:
                          type: string
                          description: The type of this resource object.
                          example: identifiers
                        attributes:
                          type: object
                          required:
                          - category
                          - value
                          properties:
                            category:
                              type: string
                              description: The category of the identifier (e.g., DOI, ARK).
                              example: doi
                            value:
                              type: string
                              description: The identifier value.
                              example: 10.1234/osf.io/abcde
                  links:
                    type: object
                    description: Links for pagination and resource access.
                    properties:
                      self:
                        type: string
                        description: Link to the current page of results.
                      next:
                        type: string
                        description: Link to the next page of results (if available).
                      prev:
                        type: string
                        description: Link to the previous page of results (if available).
                example:
                  data:
                  - id: doi:10.1234/osf.io/abcde
                    type: identifiers
                    attributes:
                      category: doi
                      value: 10.1234/osf.io/abcde
                  - id: ark:/12345/osf.io/xyz12
                    type: identifiers
                    attributes:
                      category: ark
                      value: ark:/12345/osf.io/xyz12
                  links:
                    self: https://api.osf.io/v2/preprints/abc12/identifiers/
                    next: null
                    prev: null
        '401':
          description: Unauthorized. Authentication is required.
        '403':
          description: Forbidden. You do not have permission to view identifiers for this preprint.
        '404':
          description: Not Found. No preprint matches the given ID.
  /identifiers/{identifier_id}/:
    get:
      summary: Retrieve a Specific Identifier
      description: 'Retrieve the details of a specific identifier by its unique identifier ID.

        Identifiers represent permanent references to OSF nodes, often registered with external services like DataCite (for DOIs) or ARK registries. This endpoint provides information about the identifier’s category (e.g., DOI or ARK), its value, and its association with the referent node.

        #### Permissions


        - Public identifiers are accessible by any user.

        - Private node identifiers require authentication and appropriate permissions (at least read access).'
      parameters:
      - in: path
        name: identifier_id
        required: true
        description: The unique identifier for the identifier resource.
        schema:
          type: string
      tags:
      - Identifiers
      operationId: identifiers_read
      x-response-schema: Identifier
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Successful retrieval of the identifier.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: object
                title: Identifier
                description: Representation of an identifier entity within the OSF API.
                properties:
                  id:
                    type: string
                    readOnly: true
                    description: Unique identifier for the identifier entity.
                  type:
                    type: string
                    readOnly: true
                    description: Resource type, always `identifiers` for identifier entities.
                  attributes:
                    type: object
                    title: Attributes
                    readOnly: true
                    description: Attributes of the identifier entity, including category and value.
                    properties:
                      category:
                        type: string
                        enum:
                        - doi
                        readOnly: true
                        description: The category of the identifier, such as ARK or DOI.
                      value:
                        type: string
                        readOnly: true
                        description: The actual value of the identifier.
                  relationships:
                    type: object
                    title: Relationships
                    readOnly: true
                    description: Relationships to other entities, indicating the node this identifier refers to.
                    properties:
                      referent:
                        type: object
                        description: Relationship object linking to the node associated with this identifier.
                        properties:
                          links:
                            type: object
                            properties:
                              related:
                                type: string
                                format: url
                                description: URL to the related node.
                  links:
                    type: object
                    title: Links
                    readOnly: true
                    description: Links to representations of the identifier entity.
                    properties:
                      self:
                        type: string
                        format: url
                        readOnly: true
                        description: URL to the detail page for this identifier.
              example:
                data:
                  id: 57f1641db83f6901ed94b45a
                  type: identifiers
                  attributes:
                    category: ark
                    value: c7605/osf.io/73pnd
                  relationships:
                    referent:
                      links:
                        related:
                          href: https://api.osf.io/v2/nodes/73pnd/
                          meta: {}
                  links:
                    self: https://api.osf.io/v2/identifiers/57f1641db83f6901ed94b45a/
  /identifiers/{node_id}/identifiers/:
    get:
      summary: List all identifiers
      description: 'List of all identifiers for a given node.

        #### Returns

        Returns a JSON object containing `data` and `links` keys.


        The `data` key contains an array of identifiers. Each resource in the array is a separate identifier object.


        The `links` key contains a dictionary of links that can be used for pagination.

        #### Filtering

        You can optionally request that the response only include identifiers that match your filters by utilizing the `filter` query parameter, e.g. https://api.osf.io/v2/identifiers/73pnd/identifiers/?filter[category]=doi.

        Identifiers may be filtered by their `category` e.g `ark` or `doi`.'
      parameters:
      - in: path
        name: node_id
        required: true
        description: The unique identifier of the node.
        schema:
          type: string
      tags:
      - Identifiers
      operationId: identifiers_list
      x-response-schema: Identifier
      responses:
        '200':
          description: OK
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: array
                items:
                  type: object
                  title: Identifier
                  description: Representation of an identifier entity within the OSF API.
                  properties:
                    id:
                      type: string
                      readOnly: true
                      description: Unique identifier for the identifier entity.
                    type:
                      type: string
                      readOnly: true
                      description: Resource type, always `identifiers` for identifier entities.
                    attributes:
                      type: object
                      title: Attributes
                      readOnly: true
                      description: Attributes of the identifier entity, including category and value.
                      properties:
                        category:
                          type: string
                          enum:
                          - doi
                          readOnly: true
                          description: The category of the identifier, such as ARK or DOI.
                        value:
                          type: string
                          readOnly: true
                          description: The actual value of the identifier.
                    relationships:
                      type: object
                      title: Relationships
                      readOnly: true
                      description: Relationships to other entities, indicating the node this identifier refers to.
                      properties:
                        referent:
                          type: object
                          description: Relationship object linking to the node associated with this identifier.
                          properties:
                            links:
                              type: object
                              properties:
                                related:
                                  type: string
                                  format: url
                                  description: URL to the related node.
                    links:
                      type: object
                      title: Links
                      readOnly: true
                      description: Links to representations of the identifier entity.
                      properties:
                        self:
                          type: string
                          format: url
                          readOnly: true
                          description: URL to the detail page for this identifier.
              example:
                data:
                - relationships:
                    referent:
                      links:
                        related:
                          href: https://api.osf.io/v2/nodes/73pnd/
                          meta: {}
                  links:
                    self: https://api.osf.io/v2/identifiers/57f1641db83f6901ed94b459/
                  attributes:
                    category: doi
                    value: 10.17605/OSF.IO/73PND
                  type: identifiers
                  id: 57f1641db83f6901ed94b459
                - relationships:
                    referent:
                      links:
                        related:
                          href: https://api.osf.io/v2/nodes/73pnd/
                          meta: {}
                  links:
                    self: https://api.osf.io/v2/identifiers/57f1641db83f6901ed94b45a/
                  attributes:
                    category: ark
                    value: c7605/osf.io/73pnd
                  type: identifiers
                  id: 57f1641db83f6901ed94b45a
                links:
                  first: null
                  last: null
                  prev: null
                  next: null
                  meta: null
                  total: 2
                  per_page: 10
x-tagGroups:
- name: Welcome
  tags:
  - Introduction
  - General Usage
  - Authentication
  - Pagination
  - Versioning
  - Filtering
  - Sparse Fieldsets
  - Embedding
  - Request Formatting
  - Errors & Error Codes
  - Entities & Entity Collections
- name: API Reference
  tags:
  - Actions
  - Addons
  - Applications
  - Base
  - CEDAR Metadata
  - Citations
  - Comments
  - Collections
  - Collection Submissions
  - Collection Submissions Actions
  - Collection Providers
  - Custom Metadata
  - Files
  - Licenses
  - Logs
  - Institutions
  - Identifiers
  - Registration Schemas
  - Registration Schema Blocks
  - Schema Responses
  - Schema Response Actions
  - Nodes
  - Notification Subscriptions
  - Preprints
  - Preprint Providers
  - Draft Registrations
  - Registrations
  - Registration Providers
  - Regions
  - OAuth Scopes
  - Taxonomies
  - Tokens
  - Users
  - View Only Links
  - Wikis
  - Subjects
  - GUIDs
  - Requests
  - Resources