Building Your Academic Research Digital Identity by 
10 Reasons to register & use your own ORCiD
1. An ORCID iD reliably connects you with your works, awards, and affiliations. Use it whenever prompted (or required to do so), for example, when developing your CV, submitting a manuscript or applying for a grant. You should always be asked to sign in to your ORCID record as part of this process so that the connection between you and your information is accurate, and you have given permission for that connection to be made.
2. ORCID alleviates mistaken identity. Many researchers share the same, or a similar name, making it easy to confuse you with someone else. This is even more likely to be the case if you have changed your name, use different versions of your name, or have a name that has been transliterated into other languages. Having and using your own ORCID iD ensures that you are correctly identified.
3. You own and control your record, managing what information is connected and how it is shared. Researcher control is a core ORCID principle. Only you can claim an ORCID iD for yourself and only you can set up your record. You choose what information to connect to your iD, and whom to share it with - everyone, no one, or trusted organizations. ORCID’s visibility settings are very granular, so you can make different data elements visible to different groups.
4. More and more of the systems you already use are connected with ORCID. With over 700 members and more than 500 live integrations, ORCID is already being used in many of your existing workflows. For example, major manuscript submission systems have embedded ORCID iDs and over 1,600 journals are now requiring some or all authors to use an iD. Many other systems - research profiles, funding, repositories, and more - use ORCID and more ORCID integrations are being launched all the time.
5. ORCID saves you time – “enter once, reuse often”. The idea is for you to manage your research and career information using your iD and your ORCID record, and for updates to flow from there easily into the other systems you use. This will not only save you time, but also ensure that the information in your record has been validated by your organizations.
6. ORCID improves recognition for you and your research. Using your ORCiD creates reliable connections between your iD and your research activities. For example, if you provide your iD the next time you peer review; recognition of your review activity can be deposited in your ORCID record, enabling you to share it with the other organizations you interact with.
7. ORCID increases discoverability of your research outputs. Connections also make you and your research easier to discover. A number of platforms are including ORCID iDs as a search term and/or a method for enhancing search results.
8. It’s free to register and use an ORCID iD. ORCID is, and always will be, free for researchers. Anyone who contributes in any way to research, scholarship, or innovation can register for an iD.
9. It’s easy to register, and to use and connect your ORCiD with your affiliations, works, and awards. Registration takes less than a minute - all you need is one version of your name, your email address and a password.
10. Your ORCID iD is your lifelong digital identifier. ORCID is open, international, community-based, and multi-disciplinary. You can use it in any ORCID-integrated system. You can use your ORCiD at every stage of your career, through your education, jobs, and moves.
