The ISSN International Centre and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration in metadata exchange, interoperability, and the visibility of open access scholarly resources.
Under the agreement, both organizations will continue to facilitate metadata exchange through APIs and other technical means, maintain high standards of data quality, ensure interoperability between their systems, and promote each other’s services.
Since DOAJ’s launch in 2003, the ISSN International Centre has supported its work by providing access to the ISSN Portal. Initially, this access was made available through Lund University, where DOAJ was established. Following DOAJ’s transition to an independent operating organization in 2013, cooperation between the two entities has continued through a series of agreements.
Designated members of the DOAJ team will retain access to the ISSN Portal, including ISSN lookup and download services, in line with the agreement. The ISSN International Centre will use DOAJ metadata to identify matching records within ROAD, while DOAJ will provide updated metadata through its Premium Metadata Services.
Dr. Gaëlle Béquet, Director of the ISSN International Centre, emphasized that quality metadata underpins scholarly communication and noted that the collaboration supports accurate identification and discoverability of open access journals worldwide. Joanna Ball, Managing Director of DOAJ, highlighted that verification and validation of journal metadata are among DOAJ’s most valued services, adding that renewing collaboration with ISSN helps build a network of trust across scholarly publishing.
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