ISO 17316:2014 specifies an identifier of links between entities (or their names) in the field of information and documentation. These entities can be documents, media resources, people, or more abstract items such as times or places.

The ISLI system identifies links between entities that are related to each other so that, for instance, they can be rendered jointly. It does this by registering each link identifier with information (metadata) that specifies the link. The ISLI does not change the content, ownership, right of access, or existing identification of these entities.

This International Standard does not specify the technology used to represent the identifier or realize the link. It enables applications to be built which use the interoperable ISLI system for the identification of links.