May I See Your ID? Using ORCID to Identify Your Scholarship.

(This post was written by Andrea Denton and Arian Abdulla, and edited by Kimberley Barker.)

Driver’s license. Social Security Number. UVA Computing ID. There are many forms of identification unique to you. Here’s another that’s especially useful for scholars, researchers, and principal investigators: ORCID iD.

ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor Identifier) is a nonprofit organization that provides a persistent 16-digit number that is used to uniquely identify researchers and their scholarly works. This ORCID iD ensures that your scholarship is easily distinguished from that of other researchers by eliminating name collision, and connecting researchers and scholars to their contributions and affiliations, across disciplines, borders, and time.

How Does It Work?
Once you’ve signed up for an ORCID iD and your 16-digit number has been assigned to you, a web page is generated for you, and you may add profile details such as biographical information, education, and/or publication citations. Many scholars include their ORCID iD on their CV, email signature, web pages (e.g. Google Scholar profile), and more.
 

Why Do I Need an ORCID?
Your ORCID iD can be used during the publishing process and other scholarly activities, such as grant applications. By linking your journal articles and grants to your ORCID, it ensures that your work is recognized as yours. Your ORCID ID stays with you during your career, even if you change institutions.

ORCID iDs are increasingly required by groups such as funders and journal publishers; starting in FY2020, NIH, AHRQ and CDC will require individuals who are supported by research training, fellowship, research education, and career development awards (e.g. T, K and F Awards), to have ORCID iDs.

How Do I Get and Populate my ORCID Profile?
Begin the process of obtaining an ORCID iD by completing a 30-second registration through the ORCID web site. Once your ORCID iD is assigned, you can manage your own profile, and may choose to include a range of information such as your publications, grants, employment history, and education.Uploading citation information for your publications to your ORCID profile is especially straightforward if you have a Google Scholar profile. Get started at the library’s ORCID iD guide: see how to add works to ORCID from Google Scholar and view other ways to add works.

Get Started!
Set up your ORCID now – whether you’re an early-career or established researcher, your ORCID iD is an effective tool to display and communicate the research and scholarly accomplishments that are uniquely yours. Just Ask Us if you have questions about ORCID or adding your publications.