identifier: Get or Set the Identifier of a Dataset or Metadata Record

In dataset: Create Data Frames for Exchange and Reuse

Get or Set the Identifier of a Dataset or Metadata Record

Description

Retrieve or assign the identifier attribute of a dataset or bibliographic metadata object.

Usage

identifier(x)

identifier(x, overwrite = TRUE) <- value

Arguments

x	A dataset_df() object or a utils::bibentry object (including dublincore() or datacite() records).
overwrite	Logical. If TRUE (default), any existing identifier is replaced. If FALSE, an existing identifier is preserved unless it is ":unas" or ":tba".
value	A character string giving the identifier. Can be named (e.g., c(doi = "...")) or unnamed. Numeric values are coerced to character.

Details

An identifier provides an unambiguous reference to a resource. Recommended practice is to supply a persistent identifier string, such as a DOI, ISBN, or URN, that conforms to a recognized identification system.

Both Dublin Core and DataCite 4.4 define identifier as a core property. If the identifier is a DOI, it will also be stored in the doi field of the metadata record.

Although identifier is not part of the minimal Dublin Core term set, it is always included in dataset metadata for compatibility with publishing and indexing systems. You may omit it if working under a strict DC profile.

For best practice in choosing identifier schemes, see the IANA-registered URI schemes.

Value

For identifier(), the current identifier as a character string. For ⁠identifier<-()⁠, the updated object (invisible).

Examples

orange_copy <- orange_df

# Get the current identifier
identifier(orange_copy)

# Set a new identifier (e.g., a DOI)
identifier(orange_copy) <- "https://doi.org/10.9999/example.doi"

# Prevent accidental overwrite
identifier(orange_copy, overwrite = FALSE) <- "https://example.org/id"

# Use numeric and NULL values
identifier(orange_copy) <- 12345
identifier(orange_copy) <- NULL # Sets ":unas"

dataset documentation built on Nov. 16, 2025, 5:06 p.m.