diff --git a/common/namespace.yaml b/common/namespace.yaml
index b174003..fd23cc3 100644
--- a/common/namespace.yaml
+++ b/common/namespace.yaml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ namespaces:
   - doc: data types for different types of sparse matrices
     source: sparse.yaml
     title: Sparse data types
-  version: 1.8.0
+  version: 1.9.0-alpha
 
 - name: hdmf-experimental
   doc: Experimental data structures provided by HDMF. These are not guaranteed to be available in the future.
diff --git a/common/table.yaml b/common/table.yaml
index 2bacf8b..9029840 100644
--- a/common/table.yaml
+++ b/common/table.yaml
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ datasets:
 - data_type_def: ElementIdentifiers
   data_type_inc: Data
   default_name: element_id
-  dtype: int
+  dtype: int32
   dims:
   - num_elements
   shape:
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ datasets:
 
 - data_type_def: DynamicTableRegion
   data_type_inc: VectorData
-  dtype: int
+  dtype: int32
   doc: DynamicTableRegion provides a link from one table to an index or region of another. The `table` attribute is a
     link to another `DynamicTable`, indicating which table is referenced, and the data is int(s) indicating the row(s)
     (0-indexed) of the target array. `DynamicTableRegion`s can be used to associate rows with repeated meta-data without
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ groups:
   datasets:
   - name: id
     data_type_inc: ElementIdentifiers
-    dtype: int
     dims:
     - num_rows
     shape:
diff --git a/docs/source/conf.py b/docs/source/conf.py
index 6e642a5..49eef8e 100644
--- a/docs/source/conf.py
+++ b/docs/source/conf.py
@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@ def setup(app):
 # built documents.
 #
 # The short X.Y version.
-version = 'v1.8.0'
+version = 'v1.9.0'
 # The full version, including alpha/beta/rc tags.
-release = 'v1.8.0'
+release = 'v1.9.0-alpha'
 
 # The language for content autogenerated by Sphinx. Refer to documentation
 # for a list of supported languages.
diff --git a/docs/source/hdmf_common_release_notes.rst b/docs/source/hdmf_common_release_notes.rst
index 7a7d28d..b9cb108 100644
--- a/docs/source/hdmf_common_release_notes.rst
+++ b/docs/source/hdmf_common_release_notes.rst
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@
 hdmf-common Release Notes
 =========================
 
+1.9.0 (Upcoming)
+----------------------
+- Change the dtype of `ElementIdentifiers` and `DynamicTableRegion` from "int" to "int32". Under the current
+  schema language, "int" means "int32" so this change has no functional impact, except when displaying the 
+  spec, such as in error messages.
+
 1.8.0 (August 4, 2023)
 ----------------------
 - No change in the hdmf-common namespace. See :ref:`here <hdmf_experimental_release_notes>` for changes to the