platform-documentation

Transfer Title Ownership with CrossRef

This is about what to do when AUP acquires a new title, for example a journal. There are two scenarios

1. AUP acquires all of the disposing publisher’s titles
2. AUP acquires one of the disposing publisher’s titles

This page is about scenario 2: how to let CrossRef know that the title now has a new owner, so that the DOI registration is handled succesfully and there are no problems.

how it works

• Crossref updates the title record to associate the title with the acquiring publisher’s prefix going forward
• content published before the cut-off date keeps the existing prefix and hence DOI
• content published after the cut-off date gets the acquiring publisher’s prefix and hence DOI

what we should do

1. Disposing and acquiring publisher confirm that all existing DOIs have definitely been registered with Crossref and agree financial arrangement for registration of DOIs.
2. Disposing or acquiring publisher contacts the Crossref support team to request a title transfer
3. Crossref updates the title record in the system and confirm when this is complete.
4. The acquiring publisher updates the metadata on existing DOIs as required.

contacting CrossRef

There are two ways to request a title transfer

1. Post a title transfer to the Enhanced Transfer Alerting Service (ETAS). This is Crossref’s preferred option but it seems AUP doesn’t do this.
2. Send Crossref confirmation that the disposing publisher is aware of and agrees with the ownership transfer. The confirmation may be a forwarded email from the disposing publisher to the acquiring publisher acknowledging the transfer. The forwarded email must contain the original sender details. An announcement on the website of the disposing publisher works too.

a journal can have multiple prefixes

If a single title is transferred, that title will have DOIs with at least two different DOI prefixes: the one of the disposing publisher for all content published during that publisher’s ownership, and the prefix of the acquiring publisher, for all content published after the moment of acquisition.

• Crossref holds “title records” in their sysem. The title record ties the title to the prefix belonging to the publisher (= a “member” of CrossRef).
• When the first DOI for a title is registered with CrossRef, this creates a title record in the Crossref system
• The publisher who owns the prefix is the only one allowed to create new DOIs for content belonging to that title (or update metadata on existing DOIs)
• if a title is acquired by another publisher with a different prefix, the DOIs of content published before the acquisition stay the same
• DOIs of content published after the acquisition get the acquiring publisher’s prefix and hence DOI -the whole point of title ownership transfer is that the acquiring publisher gets to create new DOIs for that title (and gets to update metadata if necessary)

some practical points

• check that all DOIs of content published before the acquisition is successfully registered with Crossref
• be as specific as possible when requesting a title transfer with Crossref (title, ISSNs, DOIs, etc.)
• using the disposing publisher’s prefix have definitely been us.
• do not register new DOIs (and/or DOIs with the new prefix) for content published before the acquisition. Use the existing DOIs.

quick summary

1. post a title transfer to ETA
2. alternatively, send a title transfer notification to CrossRef
3. make sure all DOIs (of the title) of the disposing publisher are registrered with CrossRef

Remember, the above only applies if one title is transferred. If all titles are aquired, the disposing publisher’s prefix is transferred over to the acquiring publisher.

see also

• Transferring responsibility for titles and DOIs
• Before, during, and after - a journey through title transfers
• Transfer Alerting Service
• The NISO Transfer Code of Practice
• NISO RP-24-2019 Transfer Code of Practice (Version 4.0)