What is ORCID?

ORCID refers to Open Researcher and Contributor ID.

Having an ORCID iD can help differentiate you from every other researcher, efficiently and accurately track your research accomplishments and ensure that they are properly attributed to you.

  • ORCID iD (https://orcid.org/) is a 16-digit unique identifier
  • ORCID is free to register and use
  • ORCID is used around the world by publishers, research institutions, and funders (see list)
  • ORCID is open source
  • ORCID supports the interoperable exchange of datasets

Populating your profile

Before starting

Recommendations when populating your profile

Granting permissions to your ORCID profile

Permission to one or more trusted individuals

To enable someone to populate and/or update your ORCID profile on your behalf, you must make them a 'Trusted Individual'. To be a trusted individual, they MUST have an ORCID ID. Follow the 3 steps below. Once they have been added, their name and ORCID ID will appear in the Trusted Individual section list. To remove someone from this list, click 'Revoke access' next to the name you wish to remove.

  • Go to Trusted parties in your ORCID profile.
  • Add ORCID number, email address or person's name of the person you wish to add in Search box, and click 'Search ORCID for trusted individuals'
  • When their name and ORCID number appears, click Add.

Permission to trusted organizations

When you link your account for auto-updating, you are granting permission to that organization and becomes a trusted organization. The trusted organization uses these long-lasting permissions to continuously update your ORCID record with new information in its system. To see what organizations you have granted permissions, see the steps below. To revoke these permissions you can do so any time by clicking 'Revoke access' beside the organization.

  • Go to Trusted parties in your ORCID profile.
  • Consult the list under 'Trusted organizations.'

Deleting multiple ORCID profiles

Unlike proprietary profiles such as Scopus Author IDs or Web of Science ResearcherID, where multiple profiles of the same person are automatically created due to algorithmic mismatches between the publication information and the established profile, duplicate ORCID profiles are generated due to human error. That is to say, sometimes people forget that they have created a ORCID profile in the past and so they create another one. Having multiple profiles defeats the purpose of a singular record: it potentially dilutes your research impact as some analytics cannot resolve multiple profiles and is just plain confusing to potential collaborators trying figure out who is the real you!

If you have (or suspect you have) duplicate ORCID profiles, follow these steps:

  • Check the ORCID registry and note the possible/probable other profiles you may have created.
  • Determine the one you wish to keep: this becomes your 'primary profile'.
  • Log into EACH of the secondary profiles you wish to remove to confirm/document email addresses and passwords associated with each profile. To remove them, the email address and password to each account will need to be provided in the process of removal. You may at this time wish to export any records in any of the secondary profiles and reconcile them against the primary profile you are keeping to ensure you will not lose any information.
  • Proceed to follow the instructions provided in this ORCID article 'I have more than one ORCID ID' to remove secondary profiles. See also 'Get help with your ORCID.'

Contact Research Services

Research Services & Digital Strategies
Elizabeth Dafoe Library
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada