ORCID iD

A unique, persistent identifier for a researcher, free of charge, that stays the same when names or institutions change.

An ORCID iD is a unique, persistent identifier for a person who takes part in research. It is free for individuals. Because it belongs to the person and not to a name, it tells two researchers with the same name apart and stays the same if someone changes their name, institution or field.

How it relates to a DOI. A DOI identifies a work. An ORCID iD identifies the person who made it. Publishers and databases link the two, which is how a researcher’s list of publications can be built automatically.

Do you need it for citing? No. The citation patterns on this site don’t print an ORCID iD. It is useful when you are looking for a specific author’s papers and the name is common, because an ORCID iD on a journal page or a profile shows you have the right person.