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Compare reference websites by purpose and evidence

Compare up to three directory records: purpose, publisher, documented facts, sources and review dates. Choose a starting point without an invented score.

Prepare your comparison

First decide what you need: a primary document, an explanation, a dataset or a service. Two resources on the same subject can serve different purposes. Start with a subject to narrow the choice, then select two or three records.

Compare the documented information

Missing information remains unspecified. Review dates belong to the original records; displaying this table does not recheck the resources.

Selected resources: purpose, evidence and destinations
CriterionCrossrefDirectory of Open Access JournalsHAL
Purpose Publication metadata and identifiers for finding papers and checking DOI references. Directory of open access scholarly journals, searchable by subject. Open research archive with publication records and deposited files.
Publisher Crossref DOAJ Centre pour la communication scientifique directe
Origin International International France
Subject Education & knowledge Education & knowledge Education & knowledge
Documented facts and added evidence
  • Record : DOI, title, authors and available dates.
  • Compare : Metadata record, text actually read and cited version.
  • Limit : Metadata does not guarantee the accuracy of a scientific conclusion.
  • Crossmark status : The Crossmark button provides access to corrections, retractions and updates reported by the depositor. It can also appear in a locally saved PDF.
  • Ambiguous search : When a search returns similar titles, compare DOI, authors and date with the original reference; the first result is not a confirmed match.
  • Three technical dates : created records first DOI registration; deposited records the latest metadata update; indexed records the latest indexing. None should automatically be treated as the text’s publication date.
    Source: Crossref — REST API metadata format · consulted on
  • Reindexing without a text revision : Reindexing can occur without a change to deposited metadata. To date a scholarly correction, find the notice and document version rather than infer a change from indexed.
    Source: Crossref — REST API metadata format · consulted on
  • Where fields come from : Members deposit metadata, supplemented by sources including Retraction Watch. A missing field does not establish that the information is absent from the article.
    Source: Crossref — REST API · consulted on
  • DOI registration agency : The /works/{doi}/agency request identifies the registration agency. Searching Crossref does not automatically cover DOIs registered by every other agency.
    Source: Crossref — REST API · consulted on
  • Record : Identify journal, publisher and subject.
  • Article : Compare title, date and version before citing.
  • Limit : Examine methods and results; journal inclusion does not validate every conclusion.
  • Reading and publishing : Open access for readers does not necessarily mean free publication for authors. Consult the journal’s stated charges and waivers.
  • Identify the journal : Compare title, ISSN, publisher and journal website. A similar name or copied logo does not establish the identity of the journal listed in the directory.
  • Author charges : Criteria require fees, or their absence, to be stated.
    Source: DOAJ — Guide to applying · consulted on
  • Arts and humanities review : Some journals can use editorial review under DOAJ’s criteria.
    Source: DOAJ — Guide to applying · consulted on
  • Identification : Compare title, authors, date and identifier.
  • Version : Record the file and publication status actually consulted.
  • Access : A visible record does not mean every file is immediately accessible.
  • File type : Distinguish an author-produced document from a publisher-formatted file. HAL documentation addresses these cases and their deposit conditions separately.
  • Complete reference : Associate the HAL identifier with the version consulted and, where available, its publication reference. Compare contents before treating two files as equivalent.
  • Versioned HAL identifier : A v1, v2 or later suffix identifies the deposited version.
    Source: HAL — Principles · consulted on
  • Metadata and full text : Metadata uses CC0; the depositor records the full-text licence.
    Source: HAL — Principles · consulted on
Initial profile sources
Documentation consulted 2026-10-25
Added details: 2026-10-29 		2026-10-25
Added details: 2026-10-10 		2026-10-25
Added details: 2026-10-10
Official destination crossref.org ↗ doaj.org ↗ hal.science ↗
Reading exercise and documented fields Choose the date that answers your question
  • from-pub-date : Filter by publication.
  • from-created-date : Filter by first deposit.
  • from-update-date : Filter by deposit or redeposit.
  • has-abstract : Selects records containing an abstract; it does not assess its quality.
  • has-license : Indicates a licence in the metadata. Its terms and the material it covers still need checking.
Read the source and worked example 		No additional reading exercise for this record. No additional reading exercise for this record.

Turn the comparison into a useful choice

  1. Read the purpose: choose the resource that supplies the missing document or action.
  2. Check the publisher and source: an explanatory page does not replace an original dataset or formal procedure.
  3. Open the record, then consult the destination for current conditions and applicable dates.
  4. Record the evidence supporting your choice and the uncertainty that remains.

Different review dates do not prove that one website is better. The table does not measure service availability, accessibility, privacy, prices or reliability and does not rank the resources.

· Read the data provenance