The Entity (N2T) Resolver: low-risk, low-cost persistent identification

Abstract

Low-Risk Persistent Identification: the "Entity" (N2T) Resolver -- The N2T ("entity") identifier resolver addresses the same problem as URN, Handle, and DOI resolvers, but does so without complex or proprietary software components. N2T is lower-risk than those resolvers because it relies only on off-the-shelf open-source components, and it is the only resolver to acknowledge and address the "namespace splitting problem". N2T (Name-to-Thing) is both a persistent identifier resolver and a consortium of cultural memory organizations. The consortium has no fees or requirements, and merely offers its members the option to publicize a protected form of their URLs supported by the resolver. The resolver is a small, standard web server run in several mirrored instances by consortium volunteers under one hostname rented for about $30 USD per year. The resolver works equally well with any identifier scheme (URLs, ARKs, Handles, DOIs, URNs, PURLs) that can be expressed inside a URL.