An ORCID iD is a persistent identifier that prevents ambiguity or confusion with regard to researchers who have the same or similar names. Each ORCID iD is unique for a researcher and is presented in the form of a URL, e.g., https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9079-593X. Clicking it takes you to an online record for the ORCID iD owner. Information in the record covers such topics as employment, education, research funding, and scholarly outputs (e.g., publications, presentations, and datasets).
The ORCID iD owner has complete control over what information in the record will be publicly displayed. As a unique identifier, ORCID iD ensures that the owner is recognized for their scholarly outputs, accomplishments, and professional affiliations. It also increases the visibility and online findability of the owner and their contributions. Additionally, ORCID iD is utilized by a number of funders, publishers, and research institutions to disambiguate researchers and to facilitate research reporting about ORCID iD owners. For example, ORCID iD is accepted for the disclosure requirement stipulated in the National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-33).
Registration for an ORCID iD is free and available to all researchers, regardless of their first language, education level, and geographic location. The identifier is administered by an international registry (ORCID).
Benefits of having an ORCID iD are summarized on the ORCID 101 for Individuals page. The first video below provides an overview of ORCID iD; the second video presents a workshop for researchers. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Center for Digital Scholarship.
An ORCID iD links to an online record with information about the ORCID iD owner. It is recommended that your current institutional affiliation be noted in the record to enhance the online discoverability of your record.
For the section about scholarly works (publications, presentations, and datasets, etc.), you can use online tools to import relevant information from a number of sources. Details about the tools and the import process are available from this ORCID help page and the video below. Additionally, you can import information about your scholarly works using BibTeX files. (You can also export information from your ORCID record in this format if necessary.) In case the abovementioned tools cannot be of help, you can populate the record manually.
News and tips about ORCID iD are available from the ORCID blog:
Some organizations and database vendors have created their own unique identifiers to distinguish researchers with similar or the same name, e.g., Scopus Author ID and Web of Science ResearcherID. Some of these identifiers are managed as part of a proprietary product and may not be universally accepted. By comparison, ORCID iD is platform-agnostic and is widely adopted by the stakeholders in the scholarly communication ecosystem. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Center for Digital Scholarship.