Page History

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Persistent Identifiers are used to address Items within DSpace. The handle system is deeply integrated within DSpace, but since version 4 DSpace can also mint DOIs. DSpace 4 and 5 supported one type of versioned handle: The initial version of an Item got a handle, e.g. 10673/100. This handle was called the canonical one. When a newer version was created, the canonical handle was moved to identify the newest version. The previously newest version got a new handle builded build out of the canonical handle extended by a dot and the version number. In the image below you see a version history of an item using this handle strategy.

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With DSpace 6 versioned DOIs (using DataCite as DOI registration agency) were added  and the default versioned Handle strategy was changed. Starting with DSpace 6 the VersionedHandleIdentifierProvider creates a handle for the first version of an item. Every newer version gets the same handle extended by a dot and the version number. To stay by the example from above, the first version of an Item gets the Handle 10673/100, the second version 10673/100.2, the third version 10673.3 and so on. This strategy has the downside that there is no handle pointing always to the newest version. But each version gets an identifier that can be use to cite exactly this version. If page numbers changes in newer editions the old citations stay valid. This strategy makes sense especially if you present the version history to all users. In the image below you see a version history using this strategy.

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In DSpace 4 and 5 only the strategy using canoical canonical handles (one handle that always points to the newest version) were implemented. In DSpace 6 the strategy of creating a new handle for each version was implemented. With DSpace 6 this new strategy become the default. The strategy using canonical handle still exists in DSpace but you have to change the configuration if you want to use itenable the VersionedHandleIdentifierWithCanonicalHandles in the file [dspace]/config/spring/api/identifier-serice.xml. With DSpace 6 versioned DOIs were introduced using the strategy that every new version gets a new DOI (extended by a dot and the version numbers for versions >= 2). To use versioned Handle you have to enable DOIs, you have to use DataCite as registration agency and you have to enable the VersionedDOIIdentifierProvider in the named configuration file.

You can configure which persistent identifiers should be used by editing following XML configuration file, deployed under your dspace installation directory:

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