...
- the protocol (
https://
) plus a hostname, - just for ARK and URN, there's also a label ("ark:" or "urn:"),
- the name assigning authority followed by the Name Assigning Authority (
99999
,10.99999
, orpurl.org
), which is the organization that created a particular identifier, - and finally there's , the name, or local identifier, that it assigned (
12345
).
...
Here are some more differences between DOIs, Handles, PURLs, and URNs.
- When, not if (because all things pass), the All things eventually pass, including hostnames and the web itself and the "
https://
protocol and the hostname cease to exist"
protocol; when that first part of the identifier ceases to have meaning, only ARKs and URNs will indicate include the label indicating the type of identifier that remains. - For DOIs, Handles, and PURLs, you are required to use their respective resolvers. ARKs and URNs, permit you to use your own resolver.
- To create DOIs and Handles, you are required to pay a membership fee and, for DOIs, per-DOI charges. There are no fees for ARKs, PURLs, and URNs.
- Although you can use your own or a vendor resolver for your ARKs and URNs, all ARKs can be resolved via n2t.net, making it the closest thing to a "global ARK resolver".
- The envisioned URN resolver was never built, so URNs are currently resolved as URLs, and there is no designated global URN-as-URL resolver. In order to register to create URNs, you must apply for a URN namespace.
- Unlike DOIs and Handles, (a) ARKs don't have metadata requirements and (b) ARKs that haven't been released into the world can be deleted.
...