ORCID Product Overview
What is ORCID?
ORCID, which stands for Open Researcher and Contributor ID, is a free, unique, and persistent identifier designed to distinguish researchers and contributors in the academic and research communities. This identifier helps in reliably connecting researchers with their research outputs, publications, datasets, and other professional activities.
Key Features and Functionality
Unique Identifier
- Each ORCID iD is a unique 16-digit code that ensures researchers can be identified unambiguously, even when they share similar names or change institutions.
Research Profile
- ORCID provides a comprehensive research profile that links a researcher’s various outputs and activities to their ORCID iD. This profile can include publications, datasets, funding, affiliations, and other relevant information.
Visibility Control
- Users have full control over the visibility of their data, with three settings: everyone, trusted parties, and only me. This allows researchers to manage who can view different aspects of their profile.
Integration with Research Systems
- ORCID is integrated into numerous systems used by publishers, funders, institutions, and other research-related services. This integration enables seamless data exchange and auto-population of forms in manuscript submissions, grant applications, and other research workflows.
Workflow Automation
- ORCID streamlines the submission process for journal articles and grant applications by allowing publishers and funding agencies to collect and populate forms with data from the researcher’s ORCID record. This reduces administrative burdens and minimizes errors.
Display and Print Options
- Researchers can easily display their ORCID iD in email signatures, web interfaces, and other platforms using a machine-generated HTML code. Additionally, a printable view of the public ORCID record is available, ensuring that only publicly visible information is included.
Authentication and Authorization
- ORCID uses OAuth for authentication and authorization, ensuring that data is securely managed and updated only with the user’s explicit permission. This process is crucial for repositories and other systems that need to collect and display authenticated ORCID iDs.
Community Feedback and Improvement
- ORCID actively seeks feedback from its users and members to improve its services. Features such as the “Display my iD” and “Print my record” options were developed based on user requests, highlighting ORCID’s commitment to user-centric development.
Benefits for Researchers
- Uniquely Yours: Ensures that researchers receive credit for their work, even in cases of name ambiguity.
- Reduced Admin Burden: Auto-populates forms in various research workflows, saving time and reducing errors.
- Portable Profile Data: Allows easy sharing of data between different research platforms, funding agencies, and publication systems.
In summary, ORCID is a robust tool that enhances the visibility, credibility, and efficiency of researchers by providing a unique identifier, a comprehensive research profile, and seamless integration with various research systems.