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ORCID: What is ORCID?

Learn about ORCID, why it's important, and how you can register and manage your ORCID record

About ORCID

ORCID, which stands for Open Researcher and Contributor ID, is a free, unique, persistent identifier (PID) for individuals to use as they engage in research, scholarship, and innovation activities.

People use “ORCID” or “ORCID ID” interchangeably, but what they’re talking about is a 16-digit number and the associated record (sometimes called a profile) that stores automatic links to all your research, and links all your research to you. By allowing trusted organizations to add your research information to your ORCID record, you can spend more time conducting your research and less time managing it. 

What is ORCID? from ORCID on Vimeo.

ORCID Interoperability

Interoperability image showing researcher at the center and actions by Employers, Funders, and Publishers to collect ORCID iDs from the researcher and share information about the researcher's professional activities and affiliations.

ORCID integrates with a variety of systems including publisher, repository (figshare),  and funder (SciENcv). By creating an ORCID and maintaining your record, you can save the time and energy of entering your publication and award history into each system and instead use your ORCID to populate this information on your behalf. 

Benefits of ORCID

There are many benefits to creating an ORCID and managing your profile, including:

  • Distinguish yourself and claim credit for your work while controlling access to your data, no matter how many people have your same (or similar) name.
  • Experience greater ease as an increasing number of manuscript submission or grant application forms can be auto-populated when you log into their systems with your ORCID, like NIH, Biosketch, ScienCV, CiênciaVitae, Portuguese FCT, and OJS.
  • Easily share your data between your profile and an increasing number of funding, publications, data repositories, and other research workflows.
  • ORCID helps reduce the negative consequences of name changes so you will no longer be limited to the name you used when you began your career.
  • ORCID links all your research together, while you control the visibility of each piece of data. Set your visibility to public to increase your discoverability!