What API is actually for? (Journal purpose usage)

[Eryk M]

Dear DOAJ support,

I have plenty of questions which I can't get answer fitted to my field of interest.
I want to highlight that I am fresh on this topic.

I have received API key for our journal but:

1. I don't even know what should I do next. what I can receive by the usage of it - questions:
1.1. Where I can use it?
1.2. What are the benefits of using it?
1.3. How can I use it?
1.4. If I need to construct something (tree of some metadata or any extra information of my journal), where will I find information or the sample file (which shows me how should it looks like)?

Extra information's about my situation:
I am not a programmist. I have a basic knowledge of the IT environment. What's more, I am a "vice" editor of a scientific journal that set the goal of expanding the visibility of our journal and increase citedness.

Many thanks for your reply

PS. It will be magnificent to get answers. I hope, to understand the API environment and its usage.

Yours sincerely
Eric

[Dominic Mitchell]

Dear Eric

Thank you for your excellent questions. Here are some answers:

1. An API key allows you to connect two systems, or databases, together. An API is a gateway out of or into a system.

1.1 If you have a software program with which you want to analyse the metadata in DOAJ, you could connect it via the API. You would need a key to do that. However, most of the API functions require no key at all. The ones which require the key are uploading or deleting articles or applications for other journals.

1.2 If you were going to upload all of the article abstract metadata from your journal to DOAJ, then the quickest, most automated way to do this is via the API.

1.3 To upload article metadata this way, you have to already have some programmatic way to extract that metadata and turn it into JSON. You would connect to our system via the API. You need to build that connection.

1.4 Sample information is available here:  https://doaj.org/api/v1/docs 

If your focus is uploading article to DOAJ, then I would suggest that you use our XML function instead. https://doaj.org/publishers#upload

Let me know if you have any other questions. 

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Best wishes

Dom Mitchell
DOAJ Operations Manager

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