Quick Answer
A DOI has two parts separated by a slash: the prefix (e.g. 10.5555) identifies the publisher or journal and is assigned once by Crossref, while the suffix (e.g. j.jss.2026.01.002) identifies one specific article and is chosen by the publisher. Together they form a permanent identifier such as 10.5555/j.jss.2026.01.002 that never changes, even if the article's URL does.
Prefix (blue) = publisher/journal · Suffix (orange) = article
The Prefix: One Per Journal
Every DOI your journal issues shares the same prefix. It's assigned once, by Crossref, when your journal's membership (direct or sponsored) is set up - see how to get a Crossref DOI prefix. You don't design the prefix itself; Crossref generates it.
The Suffix: One Per Article
The suffix is entirely up to the publisher. Crossref doesn't assign suffixes - your journal (or your DOI sponsor, on your behalf) creates one for every article at the time of registration. Common suffix patterns include:
- Sequential:
10.5555/1,10.5555/2,10.5555/3... - Structured by issue:
10.5555/j.jss.2026.01.002(journal code . year . issue . article number) - Manuscript-ID based: reusing your existing internal article/manuscript ID as the suffix
Why the Split Matters
| Prefix | Suffix | |
|---|---|---|
| Assigned by | Crossref | The publisher |
| Identifies | The journal/publisher | One specific article |
| Changes over time? | No - fixed for the journal | New value for every article |
| Example | 10.5555 | j.jss.2026.01.002 |
This split is what lets Crossref (and every citation database, reference manager, and search engine that resolves DOIs) instantly tell which publisher issued a given article, just from the prefix, while the full string uniquely resolves to one exact piece of content.