Frequently Asked Questions

Searching DOAB

What is the difference between Search and Browse?

You can use Search if you have a specific question. You can use Browse to look at several books that are related in some way.

What is the difference between Search and Advanced filters?

If you type something in the Search box, the search engine looks for a match in all fields. If you want to search a specific field, such as Author or Publisher, use Advanced search.

Which fields can be searched through Advanced filters?

  • Title
  • Contributor
  • Publisher
  • Funder
  • Language
  • Date Issued
  • Subject
  • Collection
  • DOI
  • Publication Type
  • License
  • ISBN

Can I put a search query in my internet favorites?

If you are interested in one specific subject and you want to check the contents of DOAB from time to time, you can create a search query. This query can be saved in your favorites. The query should look like this: http://directory.doabooks.org/discover?query=[your query]

Examples:

Can I put a search query in my internet favorites, with the newest titles at the top of the list?

If you want the newest titles at the top of the list, put this behind your query: &sort_by=dc.date.accessed_dt&order=desc

Where can I see which subjects are available in DOAB?

You can find all available subjects here: http://directory.doabooks.org/browse?type=classification_text

Using the books in DOAB

What is the difference between Subject and Keywords?

Subjects are part of a list maintained by staff at DOAB. Keywords are added by each publisher and may be in any language.

How can I download the book?

Click on the ‘Download Url(s)’ link.

What can I do with the books in DOAB?

All books listed in DOAB are freely accessible and therefore free to read, but this does not mean readers are free to do anything they like with these books. The usage rights of the books in DOAB are determined by the license. Please check the license if you want to re-use the contents of a book. Generally speaking, all books included in DOAB are available under an open access license (such as a Creative Commons license).

How can I export the description of a book to Endnote, RefWorks etc.?

If you have used the search function, use the “Export” button and choose “RIS”.

A link in DOAB is broken or incorrect. What should I do?

If you come across a broken or incorrect link in DOAB, please contact us ([email protected]) to let us know and we will ask the publisher to update the link.

Library access and metadata

Can we use the DOAB collection in our own library?

You can upload the metadata into your own library catalogue. What you can and cannot do with each individual book depends on the license. The metadata of each book contains the license information.

Where can I download DOAB metadata?

You can download the metadata here: https://doabooks.org/en/resources/metadata-harvesting-and-content-dissemination

How can I download the metadata?

The metadata is available in the following formats:

OAI PMH harvesting: The base URL for OAI-PMH harvesting is https://directory.doabooks.org/oai/

How can I use OAI harvesting?

DOAB supports the OAI protocol for metadata harvesting (OAI-PMH). Service providers and libraries can use the protocol to harvest the metadata of the records from DOAB for inclusion in their collections and catalogues.

More details can be found here: https://doabooks.org/en/librarians/metadata-harvesting-and-content-dissemination.

How can I see which books were added last, using a comma-separated file?

When you download the list of records in a comma separated format (using this link: (https://directory.doabooks.org/download-export?format=csv), import the file to MS Access, Google Sheets or another software program. Then sort the data using the column “dc.dateaccessed”.

Are there any legal restrictions to using metadata records from DOAB in our own library?

There are no restrictions on the use of our metadata: all metadata feeds are freely available CC0 1.0. Of course, the rights on the books themselves may vary. This is recorded in the description of the book.

Does DOAB provide usage data?

DOAB does not host content – it only lists links to open access books and chapters – and for that reason we are not able to provide usage statistics. Please contact the publishers and platforms that host the titles directly.

Is there a character limit for the abstract field when uploading a book to DOAB?

A 1GB limit applies to “text” fields in the publisher portal for adding books to DOAB, including the abstract (dc.description.abstract) field.

Relationship between DOAB and OAPEN

What are the links between DOAB and OAPEN?

DOAB and The OAPEN Library are two services set up by the OAPEN Foundation. DOAB is a discovery service that points to open access books that can be found elsewhere. The OAPEN Library contains the full text of open access books.

What is the difference between DOAB and the OAPEN Library?

DOAB is a directory of peer reviewed open access books and book publishers. It provides an indexing service with the aim of being a global and reliable source for OA book metadata and OA publishers. DOAB enhances discoverability and maximises dissemination and visibility. All DOAB services are free of charge and all metadata is freely available (CC0). Unlike OAPEN, DOAB does not host books but instead directs users towards the open access version.

The OAPEN Library is a repository of peer reviewed open access books. It provides premium services to publishers, libraries, and funders in the areas of hosting, deposit, quality assurance, metadata enhancement, dissemination, usage analytics, and digital preservation.

Both DOAB an OAPEN are independent Dutch Foundations that cannot be sold or aquired.

What is the difference between the licenses of the books included in DOAB and the OAPEN Library?

All books included in DOAB can be freely shared. The OAPEN Library contains books which can be freely read and others which can be freely shared. Books from the OAPEN Library that can only be freely read are not included in DOAB.

What is the difference between searching for book contents in DOAB and in the OAPEN Library?

The OAPEN Library contains the description and the full text of the books. DOAB only contains the description of the books. This is why you can do a more complete search in the OAPEN Library.

Why are some books in the OAPEN Library not available through DOAB?

All books included in DOAB have a license which permits free sharing. The OAPEN Library contains books that are free to read and free to share. Books that are only free to read are not included in DOAB.

Publishers

How are publishers evaluated before joining DOAB?

All publishers in DOAB have undergone a thorough screening to assess their quality by our dedicated quality assessment staff, which includes scrutinising their peer review procedures and licensing policies. You can find the requirements for joining linked. While we put maximum effort in to this, DOAB is a large index and we canot guarantee their quality nor the quality of their individual books and chapters. If you find something that looks amiss, please contact us. While there are over 800 pubishers included in DOAB, there are still many publishers not participating, particularly from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East regions. We are concentrating staff efforts on growing representation and bibliodiversity in these areas.

What are other trusted sources I can use to evaluate a publisher’s quality?

DOAB is a member of OASPA (Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association) and works closely with them to establish membership guidelines for OA book publishers. It is useful to check these guidelines if you are considering submitting a manuscript with a publisher you don’t know. We can also recommend the Think. Check. Submit. website which helps to determine whether a publisher is trustworthy by providing a checklist for books. You can also refer to the OAPEN OA Books Toolkit for more information and advice about publishing an OA book.

I am an academic author: can I list my book in DOAB?

Books in DOAB are submitted by publishers only. If you are the author of a book that falls within the criteria of DOAB, we suggest you contact your publisher to apply.

If the publisher is already listed in DOAB, contact us with the details of your book and we’ll be happy to contact the publisher ourselves on your behalf.

Can I publish my book through DOAB?

No, it’s not possible to publish a book through DOAB. DOAB is a directory (not a content host) of peer reviewed open access books and book publishers. It provides an indexing service with the aim of being a global and reliable source for OA book metadata and OA publishers. DOAB enhances discoverability and maximises dissemination and visibility. DOAB is a discovery service that points to open access books that can be found elsewhere.