ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is a unique researcher identifier. ORCID acts like a DOI, but rather than identifying a digital object, it provides a lifelong digital name.
Researchers use their name in many ways: as authors, as investigators on grant proposals, as staff members at a research institute. These examples involve researchers using their name in transactions that require the sharing of information about research, contributions and affiliations. These transactions are stored in different information systems.
ORCID allows researchers to insert a unique identifier into these transactions, which makes it possible to easily group and collect research activities. ORCID is fully owned and controlled by the researcher. It doesn’t change, irrespective of funder, affiliation or field of research.
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Australian Research Council (ARC) encourage all researchers applying for funding to have an ORCID identifier.
Distinguishes you and ensures your research outputs and activities are correctly attributed to you
Is often a requirement when you submit journal articles or grant applications
Reduces form-filling (enter data once, re-use it often)
Consolidates your research output to make tracking your research citations easier
Enables interoperability across many systems (works with many institutions, funders, and publishers)
You can link your Scopus ID and ResearcherID to your ORCID
Web of Science uses your ORCID to update its publication data
Macquarie University Library provides ORCID support for researchers, contact your Research or Clinical Librarian for more information. Got a question about ORCID at Macquarie? Please email ORCID@mq.edu.au