Membership Terms
and Conditions
These Terms govern participation in the MDOI system. By maintaining membership, each participant agrees to comply with these Terms, the MDOI governance framework, and all applicable policies issued by the Foundation.
Introduction
These Membership Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern participation in the Metascholar Digital Object Identifier (MDOI) Foundation, a not-for-profit infrastructure established to support the persistent identification, management, and resolution of digital objects.
The MDOI Foundation operates a global system for assigning persistent identifiers (MDOIs) and managing structured metadata that enables digital objects to be identified, discovered, accessed, and preserved over time.
By applying for and maintaining membership, each participant ("Member") agrees to comply with these Terms, the MDOI governance framework, and all applicable policies issued by the Foundation.
Purpose of the MDOI System
The MDOI Foundation exists to strengthen digital knowledge infrastructure by:
- Providing globally unique, persistent identifiers (MDOIs)
- Enabling the registration, storage, and retrieval of structured metadata
- Supporting reliable resolution of identifiers to authoritative records
- Facilitating linking and interoperability across digital objects
- Promoting long-term preservation and accessibility of knowledge assets
All systems, services, and technologies supporting these functions are collectively referred to as the MDOI Infrastructure and Services.
Membership Eligibility and Activation
Membership is open to individuals and organisations that produce, manage, or steward scholarly, institutional, or knowledge-based digital content.
Membership becomes active upon:
- Submission and approval of an application
- Acceptance of these Terms
- Activation of a registered MDOI dashboard
Members are granted access to the MDOI Infrastructure and Services subject to compliance with these Terms.
Member Rights
Subject to compliance with these Terms, Members are entitled to:
- Register and manage MDOI identifiers and metadata records
- Access and use the MDOI dashboard and associated services
- Participate in the MDOI governance and community framework
- Contribute to the development and evolution of the MDOI ecosystem
Member Obligations
Metadata Accuracy
Members must ensure that all deposited metadata is accurate, complete, and up to date, reflecting the true characteristics of the registered object.
Rights and Authority
Members shall only register content for which they have legal rights or authorised control. Unauthorised registration is strictly prohibited.
Identifier Assignment
Each eligible object must be assigned a unique MDOI identifier, ensuring global distinctiveness and traceability.
Resolution Integrity
Each identifier must resolve to a persistent landing page containing clear descriptive information and, where applicable, access to the object.
Metadata Maintenance
Members are responsible for:
- Maintaining active and valid resolution links
- Updating metadata when content changes
- Correcting any inaccuracies promptly
Proper Identifier Use
MDOIs must be consistently displayed and used in publications, platforms, and communications to support citation, linking, and interoperability.
Interoperability and Linking
Members are encouraged to establish relationships between records through referencing and metadata linking, strengthening the MDOI knowledge network.
Preservation Responsibility
Members should take reasonable steps to ensure long-term preservation of their content, including the use of archival or repository services where appropriate.
Fees and Sustainability Model
The MDOI Foundation operates under a not-for-profit, cost-recovery model to ensure long-term sustainability. Membership contributions are:
These contributions support:
- Infrastructure maintenance and uptime
- Metadata storage and preservation
- Security and system reliability
- Continuous development of services
Failure to maintain required contributions may result in suspension or termination of access.
Intellectual Property and Metadata Use
Members retain ownership of their content and associated intellectual property.
By depositing metadata, Members grant the MDOI Foundation a non-exclusive, global license to:
- Store, process, and distribute metadata
- Enable identifier resolution and linking
- Support interoperability across systems
Metadata may be made available in machine-readable formats to enhance discoverability and integration within the global research ecosystem.
System Integrity and Enforcement
The MDOI Foundation reserves the right to:
- Review and monitor compliance with these Terms
- Suspend or restrict access in cases of misuse, fraud, or violation
- Correct, disable, or remove records that compromise system integrity
Members are expected to cooperate in maintaining a trusted and reliable identifier infrastructure.
Termination and Suspension
Membership may be:
- Terminated by the Member at any time
- Suspended or terminated by the Foundation for non-compliance
Upon termination:
- Previously registered identifiers and metadata may remain within the system
- The Foundation retains the right to maintain and resolve existing records
- Access to dashboard services may be withdrawn
Liability and Limitations
The MDOI Foundation provides its services on a best-effort basis and shall not be liable for:
- Indirect or consequential damages
- Loss of data beyond reasonable control
- Interruptions caused by external systems or networks
Members are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and legality of their registered content.
Data Protection and Compliance
Members must comply with all applicable data protection, intellectual property, and regulatory requirements.
By submitting data, Members confirm that:
- They have obtained necessary permissions
- Data has been collected lawfully
- Information may be processed within the MDOI infrastructure
Amendments
These Terms may be updated periodically to reflect:
- Technical advancements
- Policy improvements
- Community feedback
Continued use of the MDOI system constitutes acceptance of updated Terms.
By registering or maintaining an active MDOI account, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Membership Terms and Conditions.
Effective 2026 — MDOI Foundation. Questions regarding these Terms may be directed to hello@mdoi.org.
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