E-citations: actionable identifiers and scholarly referencing

This document discusses the role of "actionable" identifiers such as the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) in enabling scholarly citations in a digital environment. Citation is a sub-set of the general wider concept of linkage, but an interesting one for two reasons: it is a practical example being worked on today, and it demonstrates that linkage only between digital entities is insufficient for scholarly citation. It also points the way to future extensions of the concept of linkage, with new uses being made of Internet resources, and tools which can support these new patterns of citation.