In this work, he developed the "concepts underlying the OpenURL framework for open reference linking in the web-based scholarly information environment.

"[2] Van de Sompel's OpenURL framework allowed for the development of software known as link resolvers which take metadata about a source and attempt to find its full text.

[5] In 2017, Van de Sompel received the Paul Evan Peters Award[6] from the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI).

From 2019 to early 2021, he served as chief innovation officer of Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) in The Netherlands.

[1] Though best known for his work as a computer scientist, Van de Sompel also made music in his earlier life, including two albums, "Unploughed" and "Not a Festschrift- Geschnitzte Figuren," with his group, Young Farmers Claim Future.