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Usage scope

Last updated: 2025-04-07

A persistent identifier system is most often created with a specific scope, or a limited range of use cases, in mind. The scope of a PID system determines what kind of digital objects or phenomena it may identify or make stable references to.

Some examples of potential scopes for a PID system:

  • Scientific articles
  • Research grants
  • Rock samples

Some PID systems are narrowly scoped and may limit usage to a single concept. Examples of narrowly scoped PID systems include ORCID, which identifies researchers and other individuals active within the research sector, or ROR, which likewise identifies organisations working within the research sector.

Other PID systems have a broader scope including several possible concepts, such as DOIs, which may be used to identify and refer to many types of digital objects, such as a document, a software package or a research funding activity.

Another use case may be creating a PID system to operate within a specific context where not only the type of object itself defines the usage scope. This may f.e. be when an organisation decides that all versions of documents and files created and managed within their organisational context should be assigned PIDs using an organisational PID system, or when creating identifiers is coordinated and standardised on a national level.

Some PID systems are quite generic and do not have a clear usage context, scope or delimitation. An example of this is the Handle system, which may be used for generic PID needs, while also being used as a base architecture to build upon for other specialised PID systems with clearly delimited scopes.

A landscape analysis has been created to give an overview of PID systems catering to various scopes.