Identifiers, records and evidence: directory glossary
Understand DOI, ORCID, SIREN, SIRET, preprints, licences and statistical indicators. Fourteen distinctions for using online sources accurately.
A persistent identifier, an index entry and a complete document have different roles. Use these distinctions to choose the missing evidence and avoid interpreting a label as a guarantee.
DOI
An identifier for a documentary object. It helps find a record; it does not validate the document’s conclusions.
ORCID iD
An identifier for a person in research. Keep the full address and compare attributed contributions with the publications.
SIREN
Nine digits identifying a legal unit. One unit can have several establishments; preserve that distinction when matching records.
SIRET
Fourteen digits identifying an establishment. Its existence does not authenticate someone contacting you in its name.
Bibliographic record
A description of a document: title, authors, publication and identifiers. A record and abstract are not the full text.
Preprint
A version shared to disseminate a work. Deposit and moderation do not establish scientific peer review.
Document version
The specific state of a document you read. Keep its number, date and file to recover passages and corrections.
Reuse licence
Conditions permitting certain uses of content. Check the particular file’s terms, credits and any modifications.
ODbL
The OpenStreetMap data licence. Reuse obligations and tile-service policies are separate questions.
Public domain
A status to examine by work and territory. A book available in the United States may have different rights elsewhere.
Statistical indicator
A measure defined for a population and period. Compare unit, territory, method and dates before matching two values.
Missing value
An absent or unpublished value. It is not zero; check table codes and available years.
Weather vigilance
Information about dangerous phenomena within an area and period. Read bulletins together with the map and its updates.
Archived screenshot
An image of a page at a past date. It does not establish its current state; an identification graphic is not a screenshot.
Put the distinctions to work
| Situation | Next check |
|---|---|
| A paper has a DOI but only its abstract is visible. | Find the relevant full-text version before interpreting its methods or results. |
| A seller’s SIREN matches a real business. | Check the establishment and contact independently: a copied identifier is possible. |
| A downloadable photograph is marked reusable. | Read its precise licence, creator credit and conditions for your intended use. |
| Two countries have different values for an indicator. | Match definition, unit and year; identify missing data before making the comparison. |