What are author identifiers?
Unique identifiers, such as Orcid, ResearcherID and Scopus Author ID, are used to unequivocally identify researchers. Their main function is to link the name of the author with that author's research work. Having your unique identifier is useful because:
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It is a way to distinguish your identity from other authors that have a similar or identical name.
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It allows others (federal agencies, researchers, etc.) to find and retrieve your research products.
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It ensures that publications are attributed correctly.
Keywords: author id, author identifiers, digital author identifiers, researcher id, researcher identifiers, unique persistent identifiers, identificadores únicos, identificadores persistentes, comunicación científica, identificadores de autor, desambiguación, registros de investigadores, perfiles de autor
The ORCID Identifier
ORCID identifiers (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) offer a system for creating and maintaining a unique and international registry of researchers and a precise method for linking researchers with their academic and scientific outputs.
ORCID is a 16-digit code that permits long-term and unequivocal identification of the author’s scientific production. It looks like this:
Obtain your ORCID iD here.
Why should you have an ORCID Identifier?
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To support a non-profit and independent collaborative initiative that is not limited to one geographical area or discipline, is based on open source software, and offers free registration.
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In order to link your academic production (publications, presentations, grants, work experience) with a unique and lasting identifier that can be easily incorporated to social and academic platforms where you promote your academic endeavors.
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With ORCID, it is easy to import your data from your profiles in other platforms (ResearcherID, Scopus Author ID, and Datacite Metadata Store) to your ORCID profile.
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ORCID identifiers are requested by organizations and publishers as part of the author authentication process. Some of these publishers are: Nature Publishing Group, Elsevier, and the American Physical Society. See the integration table here: http://orcid.org/organizations/integrators/integration-chart
For more information...
Borrego, A. (2014). Sistemas de identificación unívoca de investigadores. Retrieved from http://www.recercat.cat/bitstream/handle/2072/212854/Informe_identificadors_Def.pdf?sequence=1
Meadows, A. (2016). Everything you ever wanted to know about ORCID... but were afraid to ask. C&RL News, p. 23-30. Retrieved from http://crln.acrl.org/content/77/1/23
Rosenzweig, M. & Schnitzer, A.E. (2015). An initiative to address name ambiguity Implementing ORCID at a large academic institution. C&RL News, p. 260-4. Retrieved from http://crln.acrl.org/content/76/5/260.full
Credits
The original Spanish version of this guide was created by Alessandra Otero and later edited and expanded by Hilda Teresa Ayala González. The translation effort to create this English version was led by student Daniella Angueira.
