Creating Author Profiles

Creating an ORCID profile allows you to distinguish yourself from other researchers with similar names. An ORCID profile allows you to create a public record of your affiliations, awards, and publications that let's others know what's you and what's someone else. ORCID id numbers can be integrated into publications with most journals to help researchers discover your other works.

Creating an ORCID profile:

• Distinguishes you from other researchers with similar names
• Allows you to create a unified record of your work across multiple institutions
• Allows you to create a unified record of your work across multiple names or name variants you may use
• Creates a unique ID number that you can add to your next articles, allowing researchers to link your new work with your past work
• Allows you to create a record of your peer reviewing activity as well

1. Go to ORCID.org/register [opens new tab]

2. Fill out the ORCID iD Basics.

• Give the name you’d like to be shown on your profile. This can be changed later.
• It’s a good idea to provide at least one additional email that is personal to help you regain access to your account if you ever change institutions.

3. Create a password you can remember

4. Choose your visibility settings

• You’re selecting the default for information you add to ORCID. For example, if you add where you went to college on ORCID, if you select Everyone, that info will be visible to everyone unless you change the setting on that piece of information. For any info you add to ORCID you have the opportunity to change that visibility. 

5. Verify your account using the email address you registered with

6. Fill out your profile! Use the pencil icon to edit various sections.

• Add names and name variants that you typically use in your research including initials. Your published name should be the name that most commonly appears on your research or that you are currently using. You can change this name at any time. You can control the visibility of these names in the "Who can see your names" section.
• You can add other names or name variants to the "Also known as" areas. You can control who sees these variants as well, and you can choose individually for each name/name variant whether or not it is publicly visible. You can also delete names later if they are no longer correct.

• Fill out as many of the other fields as you’d like/as you have information for. ORCID has options to add employment (which helps other know your current and past affiliations) your education, any distinctions or awards, service, and funding.

7. In the Works section, add your research. Use the Add button.

• You can add works manually, creating the entire record from scratch.
• You can use the Search and Link option to search for your works in many different systems that are connected to ORCID. Choose the one where your work is most likely to appear.
• You can add works by uploading a BibTex file. BibTex is a reference file that can be used by or generated by most citation management software, like RefWorks, Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley, etc.
• You can choose the privacy settings for each individual work.