OJS 3.3: is it possible to manually override DOI input?

Software Support
1

Hi, a niche problem here but hopefully we can find a way to deal with it. We’re talking about OJS 3.3.0.19 here.

Normally, we use a formula to assign DOIs under our own prefix to our journals. However, in the past one of our journals had a run of issues that were assigned DOIs by a 3rd party (it’s a long story, don’t ask). For the articles in these issues, we input the DOI assigned by their 3rd party so the DOI link resolves to their site (example).

Now, the editor had to unpublish an article with a 3rd party DOI in line with a name change policy and it no longer seems to be possible to manually input that 3rd party DOI in the Identifier field.

I understand the rationale for locking down manual input of DOIs in the normal course of events, but is there a work-around for manually assigning the 3rd party DOI in this special case? Through the back end, or something?

2

Hi @tmrozewski,

For the context you share with us, it will not be possible to overwrite the DOI, because you make use of the DOI configuration with Default Pattern.

If you wanted to have the freedom to assign/edit DOIs manually you would have to switch to the Individual DOI Suffix method.

I share with you the official documentation with more information about this, https://docs.pkp.sfu.ca/doi-plugin/en/doi-plugin#doi-suffix

I hope you find this information useful.

3

Thank you @lopez.casique
Theoretically, would I be able to switch the configuration of the CrossRef export plugin to manual DOI in order to change just this one DOI, and then switch back? Or would this create a cascade of effects for existing or future DOIs?

4

Yes, what you say is possible!

Just be careful to make the change to the desired manuscript.

5

Thank you. It appears that the workaround functioned correctly.

If anyone finds this post in the future, in the DOI plugin settings we also had to temporarily change the DOI prefix to the 3rd party’s prefix (the prefix serves a validating function in the submission’s Publication tab) when we changed to manual DOI entry. So the steps were:

  1. In DOI plugin settings, change to manual DOI format AND change the prefix to the 3rd party’s prefix
  2. Go to the submission’s Publication tab and manually enter the 3rd party DOI save
  3. Revert DOI plugin settings if need be

3rd party DOIs like this have to be Marked Active in the CrossRef XML Export Plugin. Since the DOI was already registered, the DOI functioned and resolved to the 3rd party site as soon as we published the article.