Document identifiers: Handle

• An open system for assigning persistent identifiers (URLs that do not vary even when a page's location is changed) to digital objects on the internet (articles, journals, images, etc.). 
• Developed by the CNRI (Corporation for National Research Initiatives) in the USA, handles consist of two parts:for example, in http://hdl.handle.net/10230/22749
  • Prefix 10230 identifies a producer (university, publisher, journal, etc.).
  • Suffix 22749 identifies a digital work or document (article, book, chapter, etc.).

Example: 

• How can I get a handle? When you deposit a document in UPF's digital repository, you will automatically receive a handle that will identify it and guarantee it a permanent URL.