ORCID iD: What It Is, How to Create & Use It — Complete Guide (2026)
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Shruti Sharma
Academic Writing Coach & Research Communication Specialist
- Guided 300+ PhD scholars in setting up academic identity tools including ORCID, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar
- Experience supporting researchers through journal submission workflows at Elsevier, Springer, and Wiley platforms
- Specialist in research visibility, academic branding, and publication strategy
ORCID iD (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is a free, unique 16-digit persistent identifier that distinguishes you from every other researcher in the world. It looks like 0000-0002-1825-0097 and is now required or recommended by thousands of journals, funding agencies, and universities globally. Creating an ORCID profile takes under 5 minutes — and it permanently connects your name to all your research outputs.
In academic publishing, name ambiguity is a serious problem. Multiple researchers can share the same name, researchers change names (e.g., after marriage), and transliterations of non-Latin names create inconsistencies. ORCID solves all of this with one persistent identifier that follows you throughout your career.
ORCID iD — Key Facts
What Is ORCID iD?
Persistent identifier for researchers
e.g., 0000-0002-1825-0097
Free for all individual researchers
Used in 1,200+ journal systems
Supported by publishers & universities
Links to all major publication databases
How to Create Your ORCID iD (Step-by-Step)
| Step | Action | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Go to orcid.org | Visit the official ORCID website at orcid.org/register |
| 2 | Register with your email | Use your institutional email if possible — it helps link your profile to your university |
| 3 | Set visibility | Choose who can see each section: Everyone (public), Trusted parties, or Only me |
| 4 | Your ORCID iD is created | ORCID immediately assigns you a unique 16-digit iD — save this number |
| 5 | Complete your profile | Add your name, institution, country, keywords, and a brief biography |
| 6 | Add your publications | Use 'Add Works' to import publications via DOI, PubMed, Scopus, or CrossRef |
| 7 | Connect to your institution | If your university is an ORCID member, connect your iD to your institutional record |
What to Add to Your ORCID Profile
| Profile Section | What to Include | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Works (Publications) | Journal articles, book chapters, conference papers, theses, datasets | Builds your verifiable publication record; links to DOI for authentication |
| Education | Degrees awarded, institution names, years | Establishes academic credentials; used by funding agencies |
| Employment | Current and past positions, institutions | Verifies institutional affiliation at time of research |
| Funding | Grants received, funding agency, grant number | Links funding to outputs; many funders require ORCID to track grant impact |
| Peer Reviews | Journals where you have reviewed manuscripts | Recognises peer review contribution to academic community |
| Keywords | Your research areas and specialisations | Improves discoverability of your profile in ORCID search |
How to Add Publications to ORCID
The most reliable way to add publications is via DOI import:
| Method | How To | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| DOI Search | In your ORCID profile, click Add Works > Search & Link > enter the DOI | Journal articles with a DOI — fastest and most accurate |
| CrossRef Metadata Search | Add Works > Search & Link > CrossRef Metadata Search > search by title/author | Finding multiple publications at once |
| Scopus to ORCID | In Scopus, go to your author profile > Edit Profile > Connect ORCID | Researchers with a Scopus author profile |
| PubMed | Add Works > Search & Link > Europe PubMed Central | Biomedical and health science researchers |
| Manual Entry | Add Works > Add Manually > select work type > fill in details | Theses, book chapters, reports without a DOI |
Tip: Make Your ORCID Profile Public
Set your works, employment, and education to "Everyone (public)" visibility. This allows journals, funding agencies, and collaborators to verify your identity and publication record automatically. A private ORCID profile defeats its purpose. You can always mark sensitive information (e.g., personal email) as private while keeping professional information public.
Where to Use Your ORCID iD
| Platform / Workflow | How ORCID is Used |
|---|---|
| Journal Manuscript Submission | Enter your ORCID iD in ScholarOne, Editorial Manager, or OJS submission portals — links your submission to your verified identity |
| Grant Applications | UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), NIH, Wellcome Trust, and many other funders require ORCID to link grants to researchers |
| University/Institutional Systems | Many universities use ORCID to populate institutional research repositories, annual reports, and staff profile pages |
| CV & Email Signature | Include your ORCID iD URL (e.g., orcid.org/0000-0002-1825-0097) in your academic CV, email signature, and personal website |
| Conference Submissions | Some conference management systems accept ORCID login for author verification |
| Data Repositories | Zenodo, Figshare, and Dryad support ORCID login — links your datasets to your researcher identity |
Ready to submit your first journal article? Our manuscript preparation specialists can help you format your paper, set up your ORCID profile, and navigate journal submission systems step by step.
ORCID vs ResearchGate vs Google Scholar
| Feature | ORCID iD | ResearchGate | Google Scholar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Purpose | Persistent researcher identifier | Academic social network | Publication discovery & citation tracking |
| Used By Journals | Yes — required/recommended | No | No |
| Used By Funders | Yes — NIH, UKRI, Wellcome | No | No |
| Publication Import | Via DOI, CrossRef, Scopus | Auto-detected + manual upload | Auto-detected + manual add |
| Citation Metrics | No | Yes (RG Score, reads) | Yes (h-index, citation count) |
| Best For | Journal & grant workflows | Networking & sharing papers | Tracking your citations |
Related Reading from Thesis Ace Writers
Need help building your academic research profile or preparing for journal submission? Book a consultation with Thesis Ace Writers — our experts support you from first draft to published paper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click a question to expand the answer.
ORCID iD (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is a free, unique 16-digit persistent digital identifier assigned to individual researchers. It looks like: 0000-0002-1825-0097. ORCID solves the problem of author name ambiguity — distinguishing you from other researchers with similar or identical names. It connects your research outputs (publications, datasets, grants) to your verified identity and is now required or strongly recommended by thousands of journals and funding agencies worldwide.
Yes, ORCID iD registration is completely free for individual researchers. You simply visit orcid.org and sign up with your email. Creating and maintaining an ORCID profile, adding publications, connecting to journals, and using your iD for manuscript submissions is entirely free. ORCID is a non-profit organisation supported by member institutions (universities, publishers, funding agencies) who pay for the infrastructure.
You can add publications to your ORCID profile in several ways: (1) Use the 'Add Works' feature in your ORCID profile and search by DOI, PubMed ID, or ArXiv ID — ORCID auto-fills the publication details; (2) Import works from external sources like CrossRef, DataCite, Scopus, or Web of Science; (3) Use a reference manager (Mendeley, Zotero) that supports ORCID integration to push publications directly; (4) Manually enter publication details. Adding publications via DOI is the fastest and most accurate method.
Many journals now require or strongly encourage ORCID iD at manuscript submission. Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, Nature, PLOS, Taylor & Francis, and most other major publishers ask for your ORCID iD during submission through ScholarOne, Editorial Manager, or similar systems. Some journals mandate ORCID for all authors. Even if not required, providing your ORCID iD ensures your paper is correctly credited to you and appears in your publication record.
ORCID iD is a persistent identifier — it is a globally unique number that verifiably identifies you as a researcher. It is used in workflows (journal systems, grant portals, university systems). ResearchGate and Google Scholar are academic social networks / discovery platforms where you can create a profile, share papers, and be discovered by other researchers. They are complementary: your ORCID iD is your academic identity infrastructure, while ResearchGate and Google Scholar are platforms where people discover your work.