What Is an ORCID iD and How to Get One? A Step-by-Step Guide for Researchers
If you are a researcher, academic, or student working on papers and projects, you might have heard about ORCID iD. But what exactly is it, and why is it important?
ORCID is a unique identifier for researchers — think of it as your digital ID card in the research world. It helps people know which work belongs to you, especially if your name is common. Having this identifier makes it easier for journals, funding agencies, and collaborators to verify your identity and view your contributions.
In this guide, we will explain what ORCID is, why it matters, and how to get your own ID. We will also show you how to use it with your research profile and integrate it with platforms like Google Scholar and ResearchGate.
What Is an ORCID iD?
ORCID iD stands for Open Researcher and Contributor Identifier. It is a special number given to researchers. It works like a personal ID for your academic work. With this ID, you can link all your research papers, conference papers, and projects to yourself. This prevents confusion when multiple researchers have the same name.
It is widely accepted by journals, universities, and research platforms. Using it ensures that your work is correctly recognized. It is also useful for academic publishing, because many journals ask for your ORCID iD when you submit papers.
In short, it helps you manage your researcher identity, improve your research visibility, and keep your work organized online.
Why Every Researcher Should Have an ORCID iD?
Having an id has many benefits:
- Verify Your Identity: Your id proves that a piece of work belongs to you.
- Smooth Academic Publishing: Many publishers now require ids during submission.
- Easy Profile Management: You can connect your id to Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Scopus to keep your publications updated.
- Better Visibility: People searching for your work can find it easily.
- Collaboration Made Simple: When working with others, your id clearly shows your contributions.
Overall, it helps in building your online researcher identity and boosts your academic reputation.
Step-by-Step Guide to Create an ORCID iD
Getting an id is easy and free. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to ORCID Website: Open https://orcid.org.
- Click on Register: Fill in your name, email address, and affiliation.
- Set Visibility: Choose if your profile will be public, private, or limited. Public profiles help others find your work.
- Create a Password: Make sure it is strong and easy for you to remember.
- Verify Email: ORCID will send you a verification email. Click the link to activate your ORCID iD.
After registration, you will get your unique id. You can now add it to your research papers, academic profile, and other research platforms.
How to Update and Manage Your ORCID Profile?
Your profile is not something you create and forget. Keeping it updated is very important. Here are some tips:
- Add new publications, conference papers, and projects.
- Update your current affiliation or academic positions.
- Include your research interests and keywords.
- Check your privacy settings regularly.
Keeping your profile updated ensures that your digital researcher profile is accurate and professional.
How to Add Your ORCID iD to Research Work?
Once you have an ORCID iD, it becomes a powerful tool for managing your research effectively. In fact, you can use it in several ways to make your work more visible, properly credited, and easily accessible to others.
1. Link Publications
To begin with, connect your id to your journal articles so that every new publication automatically appears in your profile. Furthermore, link your conference papers, book chapters, and other research outputs to keep all your work conveniently stored in one place. As a result, your publications are correctly attributed to you, even if other researchers share the same name. In addition, this makes it easier for others to find and cite your work, enhancing your academic visibility.
2. Include in Manuscripts
When preparing manuscripts, be sure to add your id during journal or conference submissions to ensure you receive proper credit. Moreover, include it in your author information section so editors and reviewers can easily verify your identity.
Additionally, make it part of your digital signature for all publications; this practice helps with long-term tracking of your research contributions and ensures consistency across your work.
3. Grant Applications
In grant applications, providing your ORCID iD clearly identifies you and highlights your previous achievements. Consequently, funding agencies can quickly access your research history, publications, and collaborations through your ORCID profile. Furthermore, it reduces the need to manually attach CVs or publication lists, thereby saving time and minimizing errors.
Therefore, using your ORCID iD in grant applications demonstrates professionalism and simplifies the review process for funders.
4. Collaboration
When collaborating with others, sharing your ORCID iD ensures that everyone’s contributions are accurately recognized.
For instance, when working with multiple researchers or institutions, your ORCID iD helps track your specific role in joint projects.
Moreover, it creates a transparent and trustworthy record of your collaborations, which is particularly useful for academic networking and building your reputation in the research community.
By using your ORCID iD in these ways, your researcher identity becomes clear, your work is properly credited, and people can easily find and cite your research.
Benefits of Having an ORCID iD
Let’s summarize the key benefits:
- Identity Verification: Ensures your work is correctly credited.
- Profile Management: Connects easily with research platforms like Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Scopus.
- Increased Visibility: Makes your work easy to find and cite.
- Collaboration Made Easy: Shows your contribution clearly in team projects.
- Stronger Academic Reputation: Helps build credibility in your research field.
Having an ORCID iD is simple, free, and very useful for every researcher.
Conclusion
An ORCID iD is a must-have for every researcher. It helps in managing your academic profile, connecting with other research platforms, and making sure your work is correctly recognized.
Creating an ORCID iD is quick, easy, and free. Once registered, you can link it with your Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Scopus profiles, and use it in your research papers and grant applications.
Kenfra Research encourages all researchers, whether students or professionals, to get an ORCID iD. It is a simple step that can make a big difference in how your research is seen, credited, and shared in the academic community.
