Curating your scholarly identity

ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is a free, unique and permanent digital identifier which identifies and distinguishes researchers from one another. ORCID is not an online CV, social network, profile or repository but it connects with many other tools and platforms that serve these purposes.

ORCID is a permanent identifier for researchers. There are many reasons to sign up for an ORCID identifier, even if you've also created a Google Scholar profile. It protects your unique scholarly identity by ensuring your work is correctly attributed to you. Many funders and publishers are also beginning to require ORCID iDs for new submissions, and it is becoming increasingly required in research workflows.

ORCID helps keep your publication record up-to-date with very little effort by collecting your publications and other outputs, and aggregates metrics from across several information systems so that you can receive author-level metrics for your scholarly outputs

ORCID is becoming increasingly required in research workflows.

• Many publishers and research funding organisations have mandated researchers to use their ORCID in their manuscript submission and grant application systems. Seventy-five percent of ORCID registrations occur in response to a journal or funding organisation requirement to include ORCID in a new submission (ORCID, 2016), so if you don’t already have one, you’ll need to get one

ORCID promotes your identity as a scholar.

• ORCID helps to ensure your works, awards and affiliations are correctly attributed to you, especially if your name is potentially similar to other researchers. ORCID stays with your scholarly identity over your research career.

ORCID increases your research visibility.

• ORCID supports over 30 different types of scholarly output, so you can import all of your works to your ORCID record. Display your ORCID on your scholarly documents and profiles to communicate and promote your research and scholarly accomplishments, and receive credit for your work.

ORCID provides you with total control over your record.

• You can choose which of your works are connected and the visibility settings (public- everyone, private- no one, or trusted organisations). You can also choose different privacy settings for different areas of your ORCID record.

ORCID saves you time.

• ORCID collects your publications and other outputs, and aggregates metrics from across several information systems so that you can receive author-level metrics for your scholarly outputs.

1. Register for your ORCID. It takes less than a minute!
2. Fill out your ORCID.
   • Enter your credentials, employment history, research outputs and achievements.
   • Connect your record to other identifiers, such as your Scopus author ID or LinkedIn ID.
   • Consider having a trusted organisation or individual help you update and manage your record.
3. Use your ORCID. Add it to your CV or resume, business cards, email signature, personal website, scholarly profiles, manuscript submission forms, funding applications and any other research activity.