As you are aware, the Continuous Publication Model was implemented on DergiPark at the beginning of 2026. In this model, where articles are published individually without awaiting issue publication dates, it has become mandatory to assign a unique identifier to articles published without a DOI or page numbers. Accordingly, DergiPark has completed the integration of IZ, a new infrastructure service designed to add value to our academic publishing processes.
This announcement serves to inform you regarding the system's operation and its relationship with existing DOI processes.
What are Izlik and IZ?
Izlik is a domestic platform that enables the unique identification of all academic content (articles, journal issues, books, etc.) and researchers within the digital environment. Analogous to the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) system, the generated "IZ" codes function as persistent links. When an IZ address is accessed, researchers are redirected to the primary URL of the relevant academic content via the izlik.org infrastructure.
Izlik represents a step taken to preserve our national academic memory under a standardized structure and to increase its digital visibility. Possessing our own digital identification infrastructure grants our country strategic data management flexibility by reducing external dependency regarding academic data tracking, archiving, and citation analysis.
Differences Between IZ and DOI
While the IZ system bears similarities in operating principle to the DOI provided by Crossref, the fundamental difference lies in the timing of identification:
1. Identification at the Submission: Whereas Crossref DOIs typically become active after the publication, an IZ is generated the moment a manuscript is submitted.
2. Lifecycle Tracking: The IZ assigned at the beginning of the process remains immutable, even upon acceptance and publication. Should the manuscript not be published, the assigned IZ is deemed "consumed" and is strictly never reused for another work. In the event a manuscript is rejected by one journal and submitted to another, a new and independent IZ is defined, as a new evaluation process commences. This feature allows for the uninterrupted monitoring of an academic work’s entire lifecycle, from its draft status to its final published state.
3. Structural Uniqueness and Automatic Assignment: The Crossref DOI system relies on a prefix allocated to an institution and a suffix created at the publisher's request. In contrast, the IZ structure is independent of institutional identity or prefixes. No specific code sequence is requested by the user; the system automatically generates a globally unique IZ code and pairs it with the content without human intervention.
Implementation in DergiPark and Information for Editors
The IZ assignment process has been automatically activated within the DergiPark infrastructure.
1. Scope: IZ codes have been assigned to all articles currently in the DergiPark archive, and the system automatically assigns one to every submitted manuscript.
2. Accessibility: Unlike the DergiPark DOI service, the IZ service is offered free of charge and without limitation to all journals on our platform, with no prerequisites.
3. Co-usage with DOI: The IZ service is not an alternative to your existing DOI processes but a complementary element. Our journals may continue to obtain DOIs for published articles (provided they meet DergiPark DOI conditions). DOIs will continue to be displayed in article metadata and citation formats.
We hope this system contributes significantly to the Turkish academic publishing ecosystem.