Got ORCID iD?

By — October 11, 2021

All students and researchers should sign up for an ORCID digital identifier.  

ORCID is a non-profit organization that provides the Open Researcher and Contributor ID, allowing faculty, researchers, and students to register for a unique identifier.

The ORCID iD is a unique, persistent identifier, free of charge to researchers. It is a non-propriety means of establishing your author name and identity with your scholarly works such as articles, books/book chapters, posters, and videos; and professional activities such as editorial work or grant submissions.  

You can create, edit, and maintain your free ORCID iD and record by simply filling out a short registration form at orcid.org. An ORCID iD is especially useful for authors with common names or who have name changes, as it remains the same throughout their career regardless of affiliation. 

Benefits to having an ORCID iD include: 

  • Having interconnected profile data that is shared across systems, thereby saving time when filling out forms (leaving more time for research!)
  • Connecting your iD with your professional information—affiliation, grants, publications and peer review
  • Providing authority to researchers to control what is publicly visible in their record

As of FY2020, an ORCID iD is required for individuals supported by the NIH, AHRQ and CDC research training, fellowship, research education and career development awards. Therefore, it is advantageous to register for an ORCID if you don’t already have one. To learn more about ORCID iD check out our ORCID Subject Guide or contact Becker Libary at askbecker@wustl.edu.

Learn about other tools for researchers and trends in open access at an Open October workshop hosted by University Libraries, Becker Library, Brown School Library and the Institute for Informatics.

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