Skip to Main Content
Emory University Emory Libraries

ORCID at Emory

This guide will help you understand the benefits of an ORCID iD and how to use it.

Why Use ORCID? Save Time

ORCID iDs have already been integrated into workflows used by thousands of publishers, funders, and research organizations. The result is that citations can be automatically pushed to and from your ORCID profile with minimal effort on your part when you enable AUTO-UPDATE for trusted organizations such as Crossref and DataCite. 

ORCID auto-update works with CrossRef, DataCite, and more

Auto-Update Has Arrived by DataCite is licensed CC BY 4.0. 

Why Use ORCID? Resolve Name Ambiguities

It is currently very difficult to:

  • Track different forms of an individual researcher’s name across systems;
  • Distinguish between different researchers with the same name;
  • Identify all scholarly works associated with a particular researcher.

Researcher names can be ambiguous for a number of reasons. Some people have very common names or names including non-Roman characters; others may have published under maiden names, deadnames, or various abbreviated forms of their names. All of these individuals may encounter difficulties in being discovered online and correctly associated with their research output. ORCID iDs clarify this ambiguity by providing unique identifiers for each researcher.

Your ORCID iD is a free, unique, persistent identifier that you own and control—forever. It distinguishes you from every other researcher across disciplines, borders, and time. You can connect your iD with your professional information—affiliations, grants, publications, peer review, and more. You can use your iD to share your information with other systems, ensuring you get recognition for all your contributions, saving you time and hassle, and reducing the risk of errors.

  • Registering for your ORCID means that you have a free, unique, persistent identifier that disambiguates you and your work.
  • Using your iD makes life easier for you and the institutions and organizations you connect with throughout your research career.

You will enjoy these benefits with your ORCID iD:

  • You will be distinguished from every other researcher, even researchers who share your name.
  • Your research outputs and activities will be correctly attributed to you.
  • Your contributions and affiliations will be reliably and easily connected to you.
  • You will save time when filling out forms, leaving more time for research.
  • You will enjoy improved discoverability and recognition.
  • You will be able to connect your record to a growing number of institutions, funders, and publishers.
  • Your ORCID record is yours, for free, forever.