Format/Origin Question

[ben-norton]

I hope these questions are being asked in the correct location. If not, please defer to the appropriate site.
What standardized format are IGSN IDs based on?
Globally Unique Identifiers are commonly UUIDs based on RFC 4122. They are widely used in all computers from the windows registry to species occurrence records. They have been in use since the first personal computers in the 1980s. Most databases have nature function that allow you to generate them in the fly.
The IGSN documentation state that IGSN IDs are also globally unique, but what is that determination based on?

[jklump]

Your question underscores the urgency for us to update our web presence. In particular, the GitHub site has a lot of information that is now outdated.

Your questions:

• What standardised format are IGSN IDs based on?

Until 2022, IGSN IDs were based on the Handle System and the service was operated by the IGSN Organisation. In 2021, IGSN and DataCite entered a strategic partnership, and from July 2023 onwards, all new IGSN IDs will be minted as DOIs thought DataCite. All existing legacy IGSN IDs have been migrated into the DOI system.

• Globally Unique Identifiers are commonly UUIDs based on RFC 4122. They are widely used in all computers from the windows registry to species occurrence records. They have been in use since the first personal computers in the 1980s. Most databases have nature function that allow you to generate them in the fly.

UUIDs are often not suitable for use on sample labels by humans. This is why IGSN uses a hierarchical delegation system to ensure the global uniqueness of IGSN IDs. Generally, existing sample IDs can be reused, transferring them from local to global uniqueness. In addition to global uniqueness, IGSN IDs are also web resolvable.

• The IGSN documentation state that IGSN IDs are also globally unique, but what is that determination based on?

IGSN uses a hierarchical delegation system to ensure the global uniqueness of IGSN IDs within the DOI/Handle System.

Many of your questions will be answered in more detail in the paper that we published not too long ago that describes the IGSN system until 2021.

Klump, J., Lehnert, K. A., Ulbricht, D., Devaraju, A., Elger, K., Fleischer, D., et al. (2021). Towards Globally Unique Identification of Physical Samples: Governance and Technical Implementation of the IGSN Global Sample Number. Data Science Journal, 20(33), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.5334/dsj-2021-033