What is an Author Identifier?
Author identifiers (IDs) are unique, persistent digital IDs that help disambiguate researchers - especially those with common names, name changes, or affiliations that change over time. An author ID links you to your scholarly output across systems, platforms, and institutions, no matter where or how your name appears.
They ensure proper attribution and make your research more discoverable, especially in indexing databases, publisher systems, and funding agencies.
Key Author IDs to Know
- ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID)
- Google Scholar Profile
- Scopus Author ID
- Web of Science ResearcherID
Spotlight: ORCID
ORCID is the most widely used and researcher-controlled identifier. ORCID provides many benefits:
- ORCID is a global, not-for-profit organization; ORCID IDs are not vendor-, company-, or agency-based
- Ensures your work is correctly attributed
- Tracks your output even if you change institutions or names
- Required by many publishers and funders
- Reduces administrative work: auto-fill grants, manuscript submissions, and CVs
- Integrates with systems like NIH, NSF, Crossref, and institutional repositories
- You can control who sees what via these options: public, trusted parties only, and private
✅ Tip: You can link your ORCID to Web of Science, Scopus, and in many repositories to pull in existing works.
Quick-Start ORCID Checklist
- Get Your iD: Register at orcid.org
- Use your university email and create a password
- Choose visibility settings
- Complete Your Profile:
- Add name variations and research keywords
- Add education and employment history
- Add Your Works:
- Use "Search & Link" to import from Scopus, Crossref, etc.
- Manually add any missing works
- Connect to Other Systems:
- Link ORCID to Scopus, Web of Science, grant systems
- Use It!
- Add ORCID to manuscript submissions and CVs
- Include it in your email signature or website
- Maintain It: Review and update yearly