So I have no actual experience with this.

But you have to pay for DOI's.  I've never done it, but I don't think 
you neccesarily have to run your own purl server -- CrossRef takes care 
of it.  Of course, if your documents are going to be moving all over the 
place, if you run your own purl server and register your purls with 
CrossRef, then when a document moves, you can update your local purl 
server; otherwise, you can update CrossRef, heh.

It certainly is useful to have DOIs, I agree.  I would suggest they 
should just contact cross-ref and get information on the cost, and what 
their responsibilities are, and then they'll be able to decide.  If the 
'structure of their content' is journal articles, then, sure DOI is 
pretty handy for people wanting to cite or link to those articles.

Jonathan

Ranti Junus wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I was asked by somebody from a college @ my institution whether they
> should go with assigning DOI for their journal articles:
> http://llt.msu.edu/
>
> I can see the advantage of this approach and my first thought is more
> about whether they have resources in running their purl server, or
> whether they would need to do it through crossref (or any other
> agency.) Has anybody had any experience about this?
>
> Moreover, are there other factors that one should consider (pros and
> cons) about this? Or, looking at the structure of their content,
> whether they ever need DOI? Any ideas and/or suggestions?
>
>
> Any insights about this is much appreciated.
>
>
> thanks,
> ranti.
>
>