Know more about ORCID iDs

In my previous article on making your research visible in a digital age, I made mention that signing up for an ORCID iD is one way of publicizing your research work. This article would discuss what ORCID is, who uses ORCID, why every researcher should get and use an ORCID iD and how to get started with ORCID.

What is an ORCID iD?
ORCID is a non-profit organization founded in 2010 to address key open research challenges. ORCID provides a unique identifier for researchers to enable them easily share their research affiliations and contributions. ORCID stands for Open Researcher and Contributor ID. The ORCID identifier (iD) is a 16-digit number that is compatible with the ISO Standard (ISO 27729). ORCID iDs are randomly assigned by the ORCID Registry and can be expressed as a URI when one creates an account.

An example of an ORCID identifier would have the structure below, it is however important to note that no two ORCID iDs are the same:
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0320-0983

Who uses ORCID?
By December 2019 ORCID was used by:

• 7million researchers across the globe in academic, governmental and commercial settings.
• 1013 membership organizations in 45 countries made up of research institutions, publishers, funders, libraries, etc.
• 661 systems and platforms made up of grant application systems, manuscript submission systems, repositories, etc.

Why get and use an ORCID iD?

1. Avoid Mistaken identity

Every now and then, names can get messy. You are likely to come across a couple of researchers with the same name. ORCID seeks to end name ambiguity issues within the global researcher community. An ORCID iD enables researchers to have a unique identifier that connects them with their research contributions and affiliations distinguishing them from other researchers who may have the same name.

2. Better recognition and discoverability of your research contributions

Your research outputs and activities will be correctly attributed to you. You will be able to connect your record to a growing number of institutions, funders, and publishers. You can link your ORCID iD to your social and professional networks.  Your ORCID profile also serves as your online CV providing a detailed account of your research contributions and professional affiliations. Using your ORCID iD saves you the time of revising and uploading your CV anytime you fill forms. Researchers can also link their ORCID profiles to online research platforms such as Researchgate, Google Scholar, etc.

Getting started
To get started, a researcher needs to sign up for an ORCID account. ORCID iDs are free. Registering your ORCID iD is an online process that should take less than one minute. You own your ORCID record and, after registering for it, you will be able to update or add information — or permit others to do so — by signing into your account.

To signup for an ORCID account visit:
https://orcid.org/register

It’s not enough to have an ORCID iD as a researcher you need to ensure your ORCID profile is always updated. You never know who would be the next to visit your ORCID profile for information on your research work.

To read more on ORCID please visit – https://orcid.org/

References

• Laurel, Haak; Petro, Julie Anne; Simpson, Will; Demeranville, Tom; Wijnbergen, Ivo; Hershberger, Sarah; et al. (2020): ORCID 2019 Annual Report. ORCID. Online resource. https://doi.org/10.23640/07243.12009153.v1
• ORCID (2020): ORCID 2012 Annual Report. ORCID. Presentation. https://doi.org/10.23640/07243.12999878.v2