What are ‘persistent identifiers’?
In general, a persistent identifier (PI or PID) is a long-lasting reference to a document, file, web page, or other object. Persistent identification predates the Internet. Over centuries, writers and scholars developed standards for citation of paper-based documents so that readers could reliably and efficiently find a source that a writer mentioned in a footnote or bibliography.
Today, the term “persistent identifier” is usually used in the context of digital objects that are accessible over the Internet. In this context, a persistent identifier is an identifier connected to a user that remains in place overtime. They can be used to recognize a user’s device across different websites or mobile applications. Typically, such identifiers are not only persistent but actionable (you can plug it into a web browser and be taken to the identified source).
In the context of websites, typical persistent identifiers include:
- Cookies: Cookies are small text-files kept on a user’s internet enabled device that allow a web server to store information in the user’s machine. A persistent cookie is capable of providing websites with user preferences, settings and information for future visits. Persistent cookies provide convenient and rapid access to familiar objects, which can enhance the user experience (UX). A persistent cookie is also known as a…
